


Conflicting Affections

by thesoravee



Category: BNA: Brand New Animal (Anime)
Genre: Anthropomorphic, Cussing, Developing Relationship, F/M, Furry, Gender-neutral Reader, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Other, Reader-Insert, Sexual Language, Sexual Situations, human!reader, no pronouns used, nothing explicit though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:14:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25170694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesoravee/pseuds/thesoravee
Summary: Serving in the department of Local Beastman-Human Affairs, you were the first human staffed by Mayor Rose. Although you indirectly faced backlash from many beastmen, you found yourself at ease when you encountered Ogami Shirou, who was assigned as your escort between work and home. Despite his initial bias against humans, the two of you start a relationship, and things progress from there.We'll see how it goes, shall we?
Relationships: Ogami Shirou/Reader
Comments: 57
Kudos: 555





	1. Feelings Suck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place three years after the end of BNA, so for reference, Michiru is 21. Even though she's 18 in the anime, she looks younger to me, but I double-checked the wiki just to make sure. Shirou also is technically out of character, because I don't imagine him engaging in relationships period, let alone with a human. Buuuut, I wanted to write this anyway. Lastly, the reader is gender-neutral, and no pronouns are used.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> NOTE: This first chapter has the flow of a one-shot because it originally WAS just a one-shot. =U=

It was an honor to be the first human staffed by Mayor Rose. You were appointed as one of the assistants to the Director of Local Beastman-Human Affairs, a tall, proud deer by the name "Shika Kazuo". Although the mayor handled many negotiations between beastmen and humans, your boss and other co-workers tackled the bulk of cases brought to the mayor's attention, and enforced her policies as efficiently as possible. During meetings with clients, you served as a mediator between cultures, either by giving your boss pointers on interacting with humans, or to help explain certain aspects of beastman society to the human clients.

Of course, many beastmen disagreed with your hiring, but the mayor stood firm by her decision. "In light of humans and beastmen needing to understand each other, employing a human in Anima City may help improve societal and political climates between both groups", she would declare to naysayers. Granted, both of you knew the discourse was to be expected; after all, you were a human in beastman territory. An outsider. An _oppressor,_ in their eyes _._ And sometimes, you practically _felt_ the heated anger directed towards you, aiming to smother you until you couldn't take another breath. Granted, in a sense, the opposition was understandable, given what beastmen have undergone throughout history, but…

You exhaled deeply, trying to not let your worried state show as you passed by the cubicles of other assistants in the department, flashing a phony smile and greeting them. After saying hello, you settled into your own cubicle near your boss' office, and approached your desk. It was simple, but quaint, assembled with black-painted wood, and featured a mouse pad adorned with the Anima City logo. Unpacking your work bag, you opened your laptop, gently brushed the lid with the back of your hand, and began the work day by checking your email. Soon, your thoughts began to wander; although you've held this position for over a year, a day didn't go by when you didn't think about the controversy of your hiring. However, there was one person who made coming to work worthwhile:

Ogami Shirou.

You met him a year and a half ago when you first entered your position, and he was sent to escort you to and from your apartment in the event any resentful beastmen wanted to assault you (The Family comes to mind, but surprisingly, they haven't come after you… _yet_ ). Like with human politics, beastmen had their own fair share of values for what benefited their society, and opposed those who didn't share the same opinion.

_Did you hear the mayor opened the city to humans? Why should we assimilate with them? They've done nothing for us._

_Oh, this is a wonderful opportunity! If humans and beastmen understand each other, there will be less violence and discrimination._

_The mayor_ **_hired_ ** _a human? What's gotten into her!? Anima City was supposed to be a haven for beastmen, and beastmen_ **_only._**

_The mayor hired a human! Maybe this cooperation will show humans that we aren't so bad after all. I hope whoever is in the position will say good things about us._

Despite your affections for him, you understood that Shirou himself had his own biases against humans, much to your chagrin. With that in mind, you honestly didn’t fathom why you fell for him in the first place, but—

"You're overthinking."

You flinched at the sound of Shirou's voice interrupting your thoughts, and glanced up to find the wolf man staring down at you, hands tucked into the pockets of his tan-colored trench coat. You mostly encountered him in his beast form now, so you were used to his (admittedly menacing) wolfish figure. Although you heard transforming was an invitation to fight, some beastmen took it upon themselves to stay transformed even around humans. Something about wanting to show humans who they truly were, and no longer needing to hide. Even that pop idol Nazuna had some influence on their decisions, like with those odd bears Michiru is friends with.

Overall, seeing the beastmen in their animal forms was absolutely fine with you. In the case of Shirou, you adored his thick fur, and the way his white face and underbelly perfectly contrasted against his blue head and back. In the evening, when the two of you walked towards your home, rays of gold and pink turned his fur a lovely warm, shimmering hue, officially making sunset your favorite time of day now. And his eyes, pale blue-green as they were, held a steeled expression that could slice through the sharpest of diamonds. Hell, even his permanent frown looked beautiful to you—

No need to ogle, now. Remain professional.

"I…guess I have," you breathed, shoulders slumping as you gently pinched the bridge of your nose. Your heart pounded against your rib cage from a mixture of worry and Shirou's dominating presence. "There's just a sea of negativity I feel like I'm being drowned in, is all."

"Then just focus on the positive comments," he remarked, keeping his eyes locked onto you like a predator to its prey, and your eyes met his. You wished you could look into those gorgeous eyes all day, but…

No, stop it.

You chuckled dryly, resting the side of your head onto your palm. It felt a little clammy against your cheek, but that didn't matter. "A lot easier said than done, Shirou. But…thank you."

With a subtle nod, he turned and walked away, coat flowing behind him and tail swishing with each step he took. Left with the sound of his retreating footprints, a small wave of relief flooded over you to wash away your thoughts. You were actually quite flattered that he commented on your wellbeing. Typically, only the mayor or a supportive co-worker would check on you, but this was the first time Shirou approached you besides needing to walk you home. But recently, you would sometimes catch Shirou staring at you as you traveled together, though you always cast it off as wanting to keep you under a watchful eye. Your heartbeat began to increase as you continued to think. If his behavior is beginning to change, could that mean that he's interested in…? Thinking for a few more seconds, you pursed your lips and tapped your index finger to the side of your head.

…Probably not.

You being human was a major factor, first off. In addition, for all you knew, he was disinterested in relationships in _general._ The only other people you've seen him interact with were the mayor, Michiru, and the Anima City police officers. He didn't seem to have any romantic interest in those parties (and _thank God_ for that, especially with Michiru; yes, she was only a few years your junior, and you adored her whenever you saw her, but _still)_. Unless, he had some sort of…secret lover none of you knew about? Then again, that would be no one's business but Shirou's. You sighed and massaged your temple, frustrated, and cursed your attraction to the wolf beastman. Willing your heartbeat to calm down, you began to work again, diligently, and not wanting any further distractions.

A few hours passed as you mind-numbingly answered emails, helped your boss prepare for a few upcoming cases, and was finally dismissed from a drawn-out virtual meeting, before you heard footsteps approaching your desk. To your surprise, as you glanced up, it was Shirou, and he stood in front of you with his hands in his pockets like earlier, staring down at you expectantly. If he was here, you supposed the mayor didn't have a task for him at the moment (either that, or he settled a predicament in just a few hours). So, composing yourself, you greeted him with a friendly smile and a curt wave.

Remain professional.

“Hi, Shirou. Is something wrong? It’s not time to go home yet.”

He shook his head in response, gesturing to an analog clock above your cubicle. “It’s almost time for your lunch break, isn’t it? I’d like to accompany you."

You blinked, then glanced at the wall clock. It was indeed noon, and you were surprised he knew when you typically left for lunch.

Eager to leave, you immediately began to lock your work equipment inside your main desk drawer. Once finished, you rushed to a nearby elevator with a large grin on your face as you waited for Shirou to catch up. Professionalism be damned, you were _famished_ and needed a break from work.

Once outside, the two of you walked calmly, making small talk here and there, and arrived at a ramen shop you frequented over the weekends. After stepping inside, your stomach growled as the scent of salty broth permeated the air, and without hesitation, you took your spot in line with Shirou next to you. A group of heads turned your direction, seemingly recognizing you with varying looks of wonder, curiosity, neutrality, and _envy_ (a female hyena stared lustfully at Shirou, before directing a seething expression towards you), and you kept your eyes straight while you contemplated leaving. But, Shirou cast a glare towards the staring group of beastmen, and thankfully, they quickly turned back around to their table. You sighed, muttering a "thank you" to Shirou, as the two of you moved up in line. Once at the front counter, you ordered a bowl of shoyu ramen and boba tea. Although the latter was a drink from Taiwan, it became a popular sensation in Japan as of late, and you've heard that even the _yakuza_ enjoys boba every once in a while.

“I’ve seen some teenagers drink that stuff,” Shirou commented on your order as you both sat down. Soon enough, your piping-hot ramen and boba tea were delivered to your table. Your stomach growled again, practically _whining_ by this point, and you shushed it playfully.

"Hush you," you scolded, before picking up your chopsticks and looking to Shirou. "Well, if you ask me, more people should try boba tea. It’s good. Wanna taste some of mine?”

“Hm,” he grunted, taking the cup in his hands and eyeing the cold beverage, before sipping through the large straw. He grimaced somewhat a few moments later, and you heard some wet sucking noises and looked up to find the wolf beastman wrapping his tongue around a black pearl that attached itself to one of his canines. After noticing your stare, he turned his face away from you, as if embarrassed to be temporarily bested by a piece of food.

“That’s one of the tapioca pearls," you noted with an amused smirk. "Sticky, isn’t it?”  
  
Shirou wordlessly grunted in annoyance, finally managing to grasp the pearl with his tongue, unsticking it from his teeth, and swallowing it. He set your drink near you again, and quickly cleared his throat to move past the awkward situation.

"You're right. It _is_ good."

The two of you continued to sit in silence, and you ate half of your ramen by this point. You were very much satisfied with the thick, salty noodles and broth, and while you were in the middle of chewing part of your narutomaki, Shirou hit you with a question that almost made you choke:

“What’s your take on beastman-human relationships?”

Among the populace (and especially over the internet), you've heard talk about some beastmen and humans engaging in romantic, and even sexual, antics as of late, but both notions still weren't commonplace for either society. Some considered the attraction to be an abomination of nature, while others chalked it up to being a trending fetish, and a small minority embraced the notion of dating someone from the other species.

“I support them,” you answered, clear and unshaken, though your body language betrayed your confidence as you stared down at your bowl of ramen instead of maintaining eye contact. You masked this by continuing to eat, finishing the narutomaki and taking a bite of your pork as your heart began to race again. “Plus, it wouldn’t make sense for me to take my job if I only cared about _some_ aspects of my duties. I want to see the improvement of _all_ relations, not just political ones.”

“I see.”

The two of you continued to sit in silence, though your stomach fluttered from nervousness and anticipation. You hoped, God, you _hoped_ , this conversation wouldn't lead to you having to publicly acknowledge your feelings towards Shirou. If you told him in _private,_ at least no one else would witness the potential embarrassment of your rejection. Despite your churning stomach, you managed to finish eating, while Shirou ordered boba tea of his own.

"Is there any reason you wanted to know about my stance?" you asked, voice threatening to become softer and slightly shaky. You still haven't looked at Shirou since your short exchange of replies earlier, staring at your distorted reflection in the glossy bowl. He hummed lowly under his breath, before responding.

"I've heard talk from the few humans who live in Anima City, about romancing beastmen. It's become a topic on the internet, too."

Your eyes flicked to his. Ah, right…Of course he wants to talk about information. Makes sense, since he helps to maintain the peace, and needs to be informed of Anima City's happenings. Part of you felt a sense of relief, though most of you felt strangely disappointed despite your prior wave of denial. He continued speaking, and from your peripheral vision, you saw him gently tap a finger on the side of his boba cup. Some of the condensation on the side of the cup wet the palm and fingertips of his glove, leaving a subtle print each time he lifted his finger from the plastic.

"At first, I assumed these humans were just pursuing beastmen for carnal pleasure, or for the sake of experimenting with something new. For some humans, this was true. But for others…"

He leaned into the center of the table, fairly close to your proximity now. You instinctively sat backwards and froze, as if he were a detective beginning to interrogate you. A few other beastmen looked in yours and Shirou's direction again, but neither of you paid any mind to the onlookers. His steely, hardened gaze was focused on you, and only you, paired with an unreadable expression as he talked again.

"For others, there's a genuine interest to love a beastman. I find it fascinating, to say the least, considering the history between our kinds."

The beating of your heart slammed into your chest and roared in your ears like war drums as blood rushed to your face. For a few moments, the world spun and went black around you, erasing everything else and only leaving you and Shirou at your table. You suddenly desired to reach your hands across the table and use his fur as leverage to slam your lips against his, only pulling away to babble on about how _much_ you've wanted him. You felt like a lovesick schoolgirl pining for her distant crush, but goddammit, you were a grown adult. You could handle this…You could handle this.

You began to compose yourself, coming out of your brief daydream and returning to dreadful reality. Shirou still remained halfway across the table, an ear flicking as he patiently awaited a response. Not wanting to look more suspicious, you took a deep breath, relaxed your muscles, and shot a forced smile in his direction.

_Remain professional._

"Well, that information's good to know. It means progress is being made, right?"

His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed, staying silent as the two of you maintained strained eye contact. With his scrunched expression and tensed shoulders, you felt Shirou looked disappointed (displeased? wary, maybe?) with your nonchalant attitude. By this point, you absolutely knew he could see through you like glass, but you kept that fake smile plastered on your face.

"Thank you for having lunch with me, Shirou. I'd like to head back to work now."

~~~§~~~

The work day was over, and you said your goodbye to Director Shika as he exited his office and passed by your desk. The other employees already left for home by this point, leaving you on your lonesome for now. You released a breathy sigh, lazily slumping in your seat. Thank goodness tomorrow was a weekend…

"Stop acting coy. I know how you feel about me."

The deep voice of Shirou made you flinch and snap your eyes open. How the hell did you not hear him walk up to you…?

Surprise replaced by slight irritation, and with the forced professionalism all but gone by this point, you huffed as you shut the screen of your work laptop just a _little_ too hard. Against your better judgment (more specifically, your mind screaming at you _not_ to) you attempted to push him away again, albeit more forcefully this time.

"Not like it matters." You stated lowly, a small spike of venom in your voice. You locked your laptop into your desks's drawer. "Because you don't even _like_ humans. I mean, how do I even know you aren't just escorting me so you can keep tabs on what I'm doing?"

He blinked, possibly taken aback by your reaction, but stood straighter as if he challenged your words. His neck fur bristled somewhat, making him appear larger.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"You're perceptive, so I'm sure you know. But, I'll indulge you: maybe it has to do with the fact I've hidden this for so long that I'm about ready to go nuts, or maybe even that I'm mad at myself for falling for a beastman who dislikes humans."

A tense silence fell between you two, with only the clicks and jingles of keys and the squealing, rolling wheels of storage drawers breaking it. Shirou exhaled sharply through his nose, shoving his hands into his coat pockets once more.

"If you must know, my opinion of humans has changed over the past year or so. While I can't say I trust humanity as a whole, there are two certain individuals I'm willing to place my faith in. Michiru was the first, three years ago."

You stayed silent, finishing your evening routine and ensuring your workspace stayed clean and organized over the weekend. Slinging your bag over your shoulder, you turned towards him, arms crossed and lips frowning. You wanted to go home and leave this conversation behind, but…curiosity be damned, you were also eager to listen, eager to know more.

"The second one, however, is one I've come to value more recently. In fact, I probably have Michiru to thank for convincing me to give this other human a chance. I wouldn't say that human and I are incredibly close, but to admit I don't harbor _any_ feelings would be a lie."

Your heart suddenly skipped a beat, and you just stood there, staring at him as his eyes softened. Feeling the answer to his implication on the tip of your tongue, but not wanting to say anything, you took a spot next to him. Within moments your face flushed, your heart raced, your palms felt sweaty, and you donned a sudden stupid smile on your face, but you didn't care. That giddy sensation began to return, practically melting any emotional bitterness in its wake.

Screw being professional.

"Mind telling me who this person is?" you teased with a chuckle. You didn't receive an immediate answer, nor did you expect one, but before long, you could see a faint smile twitching at the corners of Shirou's muzzle. He patted a gloved hand on top of your shoulder, lingering it for a moment before setting it back in its place within his coat pocket.

"You know. Now, let me escort you home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmmm, I want some boba tea now...or ramen. Both would be good, actually.


	2. Interspecies Welcome Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh look, another chapter
> 
> Was supposed to be a one-shot, but ehhhhh, I have more things planned for this story. Crossing my fingers that I'll be able to follow through completely, and not be overwhelmed by external things in the process.

You laid in bed for the night, glaring at the messenger app interface on your phone screen. Your thumbs hovered over the touch-based keyboard as you mulled over a message to send to Shirou. Although dim, the light from your phone was beginning to strain your eyes, but you refused to sleep until you texted _something._ A month had passed since Shirou effectively confessed to you, but over the course of the past few days, you internally debated where things would go from here. The novelty of engaging in a new relationship wore off, and questions upon questions nagged at the back of your brain, like an annoying itch that can't be scratched. For instance, what would you even _call_ Shirou? A boyfriend? No, too casual. A lover? Nada, you haven't been together that long. A friend-with-benefits? You haven't even had sex with him, so there's no point in entertaining _that_ thought.

You sighed, closing the heavy eyelids of your weary eyes. Only a month in and you might need to reevaluate your relationship. Fantastic.

You and Shirou didn't do much as a “couple”, but you didn't mind…most of the time. Between Shirou tracking and arresting criminals and keeping Michiru out of trouble, and you being swamped with client work, you wished you and the wolf man could do something together during the few times you were both free. Typically, you both made small talk whenever he escorted you, or you would exchange a few texts (albeit, you rarely got a reply). But besides those, the two of you didn't involve yourselves in any other activities for the sake of relaxing or blowing off steam. Public dates were a no, since neither of you wanted to draw attention to yourselves (the first human employee dating Anima City's hero wolf was _guaranteed_ to turn heads…and guns, and knives) and at the moment, sex was also off the table. You supposed, next time there was a festival, you could—…hold on.

A festival.

Smiling tiredly, you finally realized what you could send:

_O'm ging tothe Interspecie Wlecome fest_

It took you a second to realize your message was littered with fatigue-induced typos. You hastily erased the text, and rubbed your eyes, forcing yourself to stay a little more alert this time as you re-typed:

_I'm going to the Interspecies Welcome Festival. Will you be there?_

~~~§~~~

_"This is important, so please pay attention," your boss commanded, voice booming through the meeting room as he slowly, yet confidently, paced back and forth in the front of the meeting table. Director Shika stood at his full height, antlers serving to make him appear even larger as they curled and twisted into a full display of deer pride. His suit fit snugly over his broad chest and shoulders, and he pushed up a small pair of glasses on the nose bridge of his muzzle. The lights from the ceiling formed a rim light outline around his body, highlighting his tall frame and boisterous antlers._

_The meeting table itself was a circle, "akin to King Arthur's Round Table", your boss mentioned, so no one felt inferior to their peers, or even to himself. On your right was a young jaguar named "Ichiro", and on your left, an older llama woman named "Juno". From there, your other co-workers were a gecko—"Nigel"—and a maned wolf—"Inari". The five of you made up Director Shika's team of assistants._

_"Next week, on Friday, July 24th, Anima City will host a festival to welcome human visitors and attract potential residents."_

_Ichiro playfully elbowed your arm, whispering a not-so-quiet, "You'll get to see more of your own species, huh?" Your boss loudly cleared his throat, eying the feline for interrupting, before continuing._

_"I'm going to send two of you as guests. You won't need to act professional, but you must be on your best behavior. I also want reports on anything that happens during the festival. Remember—we aim to improve relations between humans and beastmen. Finally, the rest of you will stay with me to sort our remaining cases. Everyone will be paid for overtime. Inari—" he nodded to the maned wolf across from you. Inari gave a thumbs up to the director. Director Shika’s sharp eyes then slid towards you._

_"—and of course, our resident human, will attend the festival."_

~~~§~~~

"What kinds of humans do you think will be there?" Inari asked, diligently guiding a brush through his chocolate brown neck fur. He sat hunched in front of a modern-styled white vanity that donned a simple rectangular mirror, and three drawers on its left side. A goofy smile crossed his muzzle, and he checked his reflection in the mirror while he groomed himself. Turning his head left, then looking to the right, inspecting and re-brushing any clumps of fur he felt were of place. Once finished, he nodded, seemingly satisfied with his work, and manually fluffed his mane with delicate, feather-light touches of his fingers and palms. With his fur puffed out like this, you thought the mane around his neck resembled a fluffy feather boa. "I hope they're cute."

He soon switched to brushing the red-brown fur on top of his head, humming some radio pop song to himself. It was the evening that the festival was set to begin, and since he lived closer to the center of Anima City, you both agreed to get ready in his apartment. You finished dressing over half an hour ago, opting for just a pullover jacket and a pair of jeans. Inari, on the other hand, donned a sleeveless crop top and a pair of skinny jeans to compliment his lanky figure. He previously informed you that, in his words, "if my ass doesn't look good, the outfit isn't worth wearing".

He was _extravagant_ , to say the least.

"Well, you can ogle all you want, but remember that we'll be here to scout for trouble, not for tail…Pun not intended," you reminded him, leaning against the wall next to him as you skimmed through an article on your phone. The article detailed the plan of events for the festival, and mentioned Nazuna was going to make an appearance as part of the finale, or in the eyes of the public, she _was_ the finale. Nazuna's concert was definitely a selling point to gather attendees, and the organizers certainly used that to their advantage.

"Oh, hush," he cooed, sliding open the topmost drawer of his nightstand to tuck away his grooming tools (and you swear you caught a glimpse of some sort of sex toy). Turning back to the mirror, he performed a final self-inspection, judging the overall silhouette and presentation of his body. "We don't have to submit reports until tomorrow morning. I can hook up with some human male or female, have my fun, and finish work all by midnight."

"So long as you behave yourself, I suppose," you replied with a small chuckle.

He glanced your way with a mischievous smile, green eyes bright even in the dim lighting of his room.

"...Actually, _do_ you have any pointers for getting laid with humans?"

"Depends. Will I be one of them?" you joked with a smirk of your own.

"I—you—" he stammered, standing up, and towering over you. Inari stood an impressive six-foot ten, and considering his species, that made sense. He laughed, slightly more higher-pitched than most males, placing a friendly hand on your shoulder.

"How do I even reply to that? Normally, you're so professional, even on days when we're off work. I'd expect _Ichiro_ or myself to say something like that, not you. Hm…we must be rubbing off on you. Besides, even if I did want to have sex with you, I wouldn't. First off, I’d lose my job for having relations with a co-worker. Second…"

He crouched down to your height, having a playful glint in his emerald eyes as he leaned into your face.

"I know you're seeing someone. It wouldn’t happen to be our residential brooding wolf, would it?"

You felt your face begin to heat up, but feeling the professionalist attitude to kick into gear, you furrowed your brows and rebuffed his claim.

"Of course not. What makes you say that, Inari?"

He bopped a finger against the tip of your nose. "Oh, come on. I'm not _actually_ a wolf, but my sense of smell is almost as good as one's. You sometimes come into work with Shirou's scent on you. Subtle, but it's there."

"Because he walks me to home and work, Inari."

" _But,_ Shirou isn't a touchy-feely type of beastman. The only time he'd touch someone is to exchange a handshake, or if he's punching them. Yet, your shoulders carry his scent." He stood up again, placing his hands on his narrow hips. "But don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Among the rest of us, Ichiro's and especially Juno's senses of smell aren't as good as mine. And thanks to an olfactory genetic defect, Nigel can smell about well as a human does. Maybe even a bit worse, actually. Soooooo…your secret is safe with me. You don't need the publicity, anyway. Being a human in Anima City must be hard as is, let alone as a human seeing _Shirou."_

"Don't I know it," you stated flatly, offering a sad smile. You jumped when he suddenly clapped his hands together twice, the impact ringing loud enough to resonate through his entire bedroom.

"Now, enough of this talk! Ready to go?" he asked, flashing you a toothy grin.

"Yeah."

He headed towards the front door and opened it, ducking underneath the top of the frame while muttering something about needing to move somewhere that tailors to tall beastmen. Thinking about Shirou from your conversation, you opened the messenger app on your phone and took a passing glance.

Still no reply since the last text you sent a few days ago.

From the hallway, Inari peeked back into the open space of the door, calling your name. With a forlorn sigh, you followed Inari out of his apartment.

~~~§~~~

The festival already began by the time you two arrived (no thanks to Inari for taking forever with his grooming). Generic-sounding pop music blared through a series of speakers set up near the center of the event, and a crowd of beastmen and some humans gathered to dance the night away. Stalls dotted the landscape no matter where you looked, and the vendors set up shop to serve food and alcohol, candies and sweets, trinkets and souvenirs, and more. A wave of smells hit your face as you walked with Inari (who was easy to keep track of due to his giant-like stature), ranging from flowery perfumes and stale colognes to the saltiness of street ramen broth and the sugary tang of sweet baked goods. Surprisingly, the concoction of scents didn't bother you, and only helped add to the diversity the festival offered. All around you, beastmen vendors enthusiastically advertised their stalls, shouting at the top of their lungs to be louder than their competitors.

_"Odeeeeeen! Buy Hayato's oden here!"_

_"Chiyaki's trinkets are a memorable souvenir, humans! Buy something wonderful for yourself, your family, or your spouse!"_

_"Oi, humans! Are you gonna buy my stuff, or what!?"_

There was a surprisingly high amount of foot traffic, too, as you bumped shoulder-to-shoulder with other attendees. Some hissed and warned others to watch where they were going, while other people ignored the close contact and moved to their destination of choice. Along your current path, you counted at least thirty humans that passed by you. The ratio of beastmen to humans was still vastly-unbalanced in favor of the former, but at the very least, humans showing up at _all_ means that there is an ongoing shift in society. A small one, but a shift nonetheless.

It brought a proud smile to your face.

Suddenly, your phone buzzed, and you grasped Inari's arm and pulled him to the side of a stall that sold good luck charms. He whined about wanting to continue on so he could purchase macarons from a vendor further down, but you ignored him as you glanced down to find a message from Shirou. Your heart skipped a beat as you quickly read it.

 _You're with that flirt. I can smell him on you from here,_ he said. You frowned, disappointed. Did he only text you _because_ you were with another guy? Granted, expressing jealousy didn't sound like Shirou, but nonetheless, you wanted to stay on the safe side.

_Fuzake Inari, a co-worker of mine. But, don't worry, he's not going to get with me or anything._

Shirou didn't respond, and for a second, you thought the conversation was over, before your phone vibrated again.

 _I know what his name is. He tried to seduce me a few times, actually,_ he replied, glossing over your second sentence. You glanced at the tall maned wolf, who simply returned a friendly smile, before re-reading the text. You could practically _hear_ Shirou’s sigh through the message. _But, I can't be too careful. I still need to protect the people of this city, and even other beastmen are suspects._

Ah, there we go. _That_ sounded like Shirou. Tapping your thumbs against your screen's keyboard, you texted another reply.

_Makes sense. By the way, where are you?_

No response.

Huffing, you placed your phone back in your pocket, and returned to walking alongside Inari. He purchased half a dozen macarons, and soon, you both settled in a bar area and began to mingle with other attendees. There were tables where the two groups intermingled, playing rounds of poker or mahjong, or drinking and swapping stories of their experiences:

_"What!? Even though you're all omnivores, the type of animal you are still influences what food gives you the most nutrients?"_

_"Yup. I'm a gazelle, so vegetables give me the most nutrients, and I can even eat some grasses. She's an eagle, so fish gives her the most nutrients."_

_"So, you could technically eat just vegetables, or just fish for all your lives, and you wouldn't have deficiencies?"_

_"Basically."_

You and Inari settled into a table filled with humans and two beastmen, and began to chat with the group. After being surrounded by beastmen for years on end, you felt oddly strange casually talking to other humans despite being one of them. Regardless, you pressed on, asking them why they came to the festival, if they were interested in moving to Anima City, and whatnot. One middle-age brown-haired man remarked that he dated a hummingbird beastwoman online, and that they were going to meet for the first time at the festival.

On your end, you received inquiries about why _you_ moved to Anima City, and how you fared as the sole human in the Department of Local Beastman-Human Affairs. You only gave brief answers, wanting to keep the attention on the attendees. Your phone buzzed again, and you saw another message from Shirou.

_Meet me at Beastman Cooperative._

"Ah, Inari," you looked at your maned wolf comrade, who was busy chatting up a pale blonde. "I'll be gone, though I don't know for how long. Think you can behave?"

"Of course!" he cooed, placing a hand on his chest in mock offense. "I'm staying true to my word. I'm not taking anyone home until the festival's over, and I’ll finish my work right after."

With that, you stood from the chair and left the table with a goodbye to the group. You opted to skip the foot traffic and took shortcuts by weaving between stalls, and apologized to a few annoyed vendors you bumped into. Eventually, you were out of the main commotion, and you shoved your hands into the pockets of your pullover as you quietly walked towards Melissa's and Gem's building. A few onlookers watched the festival from their homes, partying indoors or drinking tea or alcohol on their front porches. The scents of perfume and cologne and food and sweets left you now, replaced by crisp, fresh nighttime air. As you walked, you listened to the chirping of crickets like they were a symphony in the summer night. You hadn’t realized it at the festival, but it was quite humid tonight, and your pullover began to stick to your skin. Peeling it off your body, you took off the garment and tied it around your waist. Eventually, you came up to the B Co-Op building, recognizing the broad sign on its entrance, and you gently knocked against the front door.

After a few seconds, the door opened, and you were met with an apology from Melissa.

"I'm sorry, we're closed for the night, but we'll open—oh!" she blinked, wombat ears perking in surprise. "Welcome back. It's been a while since you moved here, hasn't it?"

You nodded, smiling. "Three years. Time flies, doesn't it?"

"Come on in. I didn't expect a guest like yourself to show at the door." Melissa gestured for you to come inside, gently closing the door behind you.

"All due respect, Mrs. Melissa, I'm not that esteemed of a guest. I'm just doing my part to help the city, is all."

"Nonsense!" she insisted, clasping her hands together. "Your department does wonderful things for Anima City, and I'm certain your presence has helped humans warm up to the idea of accepting us." A twinge of pain and sadness briefly overcame her tone as she spoke, but she quickly masked it by changing the subject.

"If I can ask, why are you here?"

"Shirou wanted to see me," you responded. You thought for a moment, before spouting a quick lie. "To talk about business and about how the festival is going."

She stared at you for a moment, as if wanting to ask more about the situation, but instead, her lips formed a gentle smile as she pointed to a staircase that cascaded upward. “Well, he’s on the roof right now. Take this flight of steps all the way to the top of the building.”

You thanked her, before climbing the stairs and soon finding yourself on the rooftop. An exuberant fireworks show began, marking the beginning of the festival’s finale. The fireworks popped and exploded in the night sky, an array of colors and hues dancing together among the stars in a bedazzling display of neon-esque pinks, blues, yellows, oranges, and greens. There was even a firework that exploded into the shape of the mayor's head, which made you chuckle (although, chances are, she didn't even authorize her image being used, but the crowd cheered, regardless). With the colors of the fireworks highlighting his fur with each consecutive explosion, you were able to recognize Shirou’s silhouette on the dark rooftop.

"Shirou?" you called. He turned at the sound of your voice, carrying two boba teas in hand, and he offered one to you.

"Here," he stated, and you took one from his hands with a “thank you”. You noticed Shirou ditched his usual trench coat, and you examined him from the feet and up. He wore a pair of black pants that his bushy tail stuck out of, and he also wore a black medium-sleeved shirt to match. His shirt hid much of his torso, but you could see a slight amount of muscle definition along the length of his forearms. Finally, you noticed a brown collar that hugged around the fur of his neck, and you mentally chuckled at the thought of leading him around on a leash like a domesticated dog.

“So, Shirou…” you began, sipping your tea through the large straw. "I'm glad you asked me to come here. I didn’t see you at the festival, and to be honest, I…”

You fell quiet, frowning.

In the background, you could hear Nazuna’s concert begin, though the blaring of her music and the cheering of the crowd were softened by the distance between the celebration and the Beastman Cooperative building.

“I thought I was being a burden on you, or something. I know we’re both busy with work, but we don’t really do anything whenever you aren't walking me to home or to work. I don’t know when you want to spend time together, or if you even _want_ to in the first place.” You deeply exhaled, leaning over the roof’s railing with your elbows. “I mean, just earlier, I thought you only messaged me because you didn’t like the fact Inari accompanied me.”

“…If it helps, I’m not actively trying to ignore you,” Shirou began, joining you in leaning over the rail. “I haven’t been in a relationship in a long time, let alone one with a human. Ever since we started…” he gestured between the two of you. “… _this,_ I’ve been coming to terms with the fact I’m involved with a human now. In addition, we’re both still learning about each other. It’s an adjustment for both of us.”

You contemplated his words, knowing he was right, and looked away from the wolf as a small pang of guilt ebbed in your chest. From your side, you felt Shirou rest a gloved hand on your shoulder.

“Although, that’s why I asked you to meet me here. It’s not much, drinking tea and watching fireworks, but I want to make it known I haven’t forgotten.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” you snapped your head back to Shirou and answered, wanting to reassure him. “Besides…I like this more, anyway. The high energy of the festival started to feel congestive. That’s more of Inari’s style, than mine.”

He hummed lowly, drinking some of his tea before speaking.

“You might find it strange, but I actually live in this building. Anytime you want to do something, we could meet here. For starters, it would arouse less suspicion than myself going to your apartment, since B Co-Op is a public building. If anyone asks or speculates, you could say you’re coming here for business.”

You nodded enthusiastically, and then a relaxing silence fell between the two of you. You continued to drink boba and watch the fireworks in the sky explode into a sea of color, before cascading down into deep black powder. More fireworks followed, shooting up with a whistling sound, before exploding like the fireworks from before. Meanwhile, Nazuna was in the middle of her performance, and the audience rambunctiously sang along.

_O-shi-e-te_

_Yoru ni haseru kono yurameki to_

_Omoinomama ni tobimawatte_

_Motto jiyū ni kakete ikou yo_

_Hoshi o miagete sa…_

You smiled. By this point, practically everyone in Anima City knew that song.

"I enjoy festivals like these," Shirou stated a few minutes later, cutting through the silence. "Beastmen can celebrate who they are without judgment." Though faint, you could hear the joy he carried in his voice…Hear the love he had for his people.

Having finished your tea by this point, you stared at the empty plastic cup, gently swishing it around as the ice cubes clinked together inside. "To be honest, three years ago, when I first moved to Anima City, I was terrified of beastmen."

He looked at you, silent and almost apprehensive, but intrigued.

"Where I used to live, I was around beastmen, of course, but I was still part of a human majority. Coming to Anima City, though? Being surrounded by beastmen made me feel overwhelmed and uneasy because my kind was no longer with me. Culturally, I had no one to relate to. Even now, with the position I'm in, the backlash of being a human employed by the mayor still scares me."

You sighed, turning your head to Shirou and offering a sad smile as his eyes remained trained on you. The empty cup began to feel wet in your hands as the ice continued to melt.

"This is a twisted way of thinking, but I've started to see my ordeal as a life experience. While I'll never have a full idea of what beastmen go through, I can at least identify with some of your experiences now. With what life is like for you all, outside of Anima City."

You placed a hand on _his_ shoulder now.

"But, walking with you every day makes me feel safe, almost like I'm untouchable, actually. I don't have to think about the backlash, or even my own safety. I don't have a care in the world, I feel."

After a moment of silent acknowledgment, you both turned back to the festival, watching as the last of the fireworks popped and sizzled in the sky. Nazuna was nearing the end of her song, and the crowd roared in anticipation. A gentle wind passed by, cooling your sticky skin and blowing your jacket as it rested around your waist. Feeling calm and tranquil, your mind only focused on one thought: right now, all that mattered was that you felt at peace with Shirou, and to cherish the moments you _did_ get to spend with him. As the wolf mentioned, this relationship was an adjustment for you both, but you were certain you could get used to it in due time.

"Thank you, Shirou."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BNA's ending theme is a banger.


	3. Naori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that everyone the reader's interacted with the most so far all have green eyes.
> 
> Also, holy crap, thanks so much for the Kudos. ;U; I really appreciate it.

Much to the surprise and relief of your department, the festival succeeded without a hitch. Sites like ZooTube and Tweeter were suddenly populated with videos and photos of the event, showcasing footage of the vendors, the fireworks, Nazuna’s concert, and human attendees interacting with the beastmen. A selfie that displayed Inari and a black-haired man around his age was even featured in a video compilation on Anima City’s Tweeter page (which led him to gain some followers on his own social media accounts). At the moment, Inari and Ichiro crowded the front of your desk, with the former leaning on the top of it as the latter swiped through the photos on Inari’s phone.

“I see you two had a fun time,” Ichiro commented, pausing on a selfie of Inari eating a bright blue macaron. You were in the background, talking, and Inari happened to capture your facial expression mid-blink and mid-speech. With your eyes halfway closed and your mouth open, and your lips forming a weird shape, you looked utterly _ridiculous,_ to say the least.

“Wait, when did you take that? Delete it!” you piped up, reaching for the phone. Ichiro smirked, placing a hand on your head to push you back and holding the phone outside of your reach. Your protests were muffled by his furry palm, but you were able to shoot him a hateful glare through the spaces between his fingers. Inari reacted to your plight with a toothy, mischievous snicker, and faced Ichiro, ignoring you.

“The festival was lively, and everyone looked like they were having a great time,” Inari replied to him.

“Maaaan, I wish I got to go!” the jaguar threw his head back, bellowing with laughter. You finally managed to slap his hand away from your head and you begrudgingly sat back in your chair. He chuckled at your adverse reaction, then continued. “Dealing with a bunch of cases was stressful as hell, you know.”

“I can imagine,” you replied, glare beginning to soften somewhat as you sounded concerned. ”What time did everyone finish?”

“Around 9PM,” he sighed, returning the phone to Inari, before placing his hands in the pockets of his work pants. His eyebrows creased inwards as he frowned. “With the festival up and coming at the time, the number of cases we received shot up since everyone and their mother had inquiries about interspecies integration. So after this Wednesday, we’ll all be in meeting, after meeting, after _meeting.”_

“Oh, joy,” Inari responded, voice flatlined as he placed his palms on each side of his head and balanced his upper body using his elbows. After a moment of silence, the three of you heard a loud and irritated feminine “ahem”, and turned your heads to find Juno perking her long, pink, curly-furred llama neck over her cubicle. A deep frown scrunched her face, and she pushed up the round glasses that laid on her muzzle.

“So with that in mind, you should be preparing for the meetings, instead of talking about the festival,” she scolded, as if the three of you were schoolchildren. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, so everyone needs to work their hardest.”

Inari and Ichiro grumbled as they returned to their desks, and with a compliant nod to the older beastwoman, you began to work again. The rest of the work day proceeded quietly, _eerily_ so, and a wave of shared uneasiness settled among you and the other employees. Typically, during a large-scale event, _something_ catastrophic would happen, and in a way, you’ve all come to _expect_ trouble by this point. You remembered Shirou telling you that, when he first met Michiru, the ten-year anniversary festival for Anima City was ruined by a bomb explosion. Afterwards, a trio consisting of a lion, a deer, and a fellow canine proceeded to demolish more of the festival, as well as the neighboring buildings, in an effort to kill Shirou. Then, one of Nazuna’s concerts was plagued by rampaging beastmen. At the time, you actually saw footage of the destruction on the news, heard the anguished screams of the transformed beastmen, and saw the terrified populace running for their lives. Admittedly, that event almost single-handedly contributed to your fear of moving to Anima City in the first place, but you persevered once the Medi-Cen employees distributed a cure for the frenzied beastmen. 

So, considering these disasters, it was strange nothing happened at the festival, to say the least. You wanted to discuss the matter with your coworkers, but a small part of your brain nagged that you would jinx the situation if any of you brought up the topic. So, you stayed quiet, despite your desire to speak your mind.

The work day ended after what finally felt like an eternity, and you walked home with Shirou as per usual. Aside from greeting him, you were silent for a while as you both walked on. The evening air felt warm and humid, making your skin feel moist and sticky, but you were thankful as a gentle breeze passed by to cool you down. It whistled gently in your ears, and beside you, the gust brushed through Shirou's fur, and his ears gently flowed in the direction of the wind. For a second, it almost appeared like the wind _petted_ him as if he were a domestic canine.

“You’re overthinking," he cut into your thoughts. "What’s wrong?”

You debated whether or not you wanted to mention your uneasiness, and just how _bothered_ everyone in the workplace felt after a while. You briefly tried to convince yourself that, no, nothing was wrong, and maybe, just _maybe,_ that beastmen and humans were acting less violent towards each other. But, ultimately knowing that was wishful thinking, you quickly rejected any feelings of hopeful denial. You took a shaky breath, looking at Shirou.

“On Friday, at the festival, I expected there to be some sort of conflict or hostility. We _all_ did, at the workplace…If nothing happened at the festival, would that mean something’s being planned elsewhere?”

He nodded in understanding, eyes sharp with caution as he locked his gaze onto you.

“I understand your concern. Unfortunately, I can’t confirm nor deny that possibility. However, I’ll still be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Just keep yourself safe.”

"I'll do my best."

Eventually, you and Shirou found yourselves in front of the building that was your apartment complex, only to see a large moving van in the parking lot. The van was parked crooked in its spot, and even managed to overlap the painted white lines on the black asphalt. While not completely damaged, the vehicle had its fair share of dents and scuffs on both the driver and passenger sides, as well as on the metal trailer behind it. The side of the truck read, "Ani-Moving", and featured Anima City's logo next to the text. A bunch of muscled workers lifted heavy boxes from the truck, and their muscles flexed and bulged with each strenuous movement.

“I wonder who’s moving in…” you muttered, curiously watching a bull worker who walked past you two. Shirou said nothing, only scrutinously studying the bulky movers.

After bidding Shirou goodbye, you passed through the entry doors of the building, and walked to your apartment at the end of the hallway on the second floor. On your way there, you discovered a blonde woman on her phone standing in the doorway of the room next to yours. Her skin was pale, and she wore dark red lipstick. Her green eyes zoomed in on her phone screen as the light overexposed her already-pale face. She wore a simple white tank top (underneath which you could see a bright pink bra), and a pair of dark denim jean shorts. Multi-colored bracelets dotted her arms, hiding an army of freckles along the way, and clashed a little with her skin, making her appear like a walking highlighter. Lastly, her hair was wrapped in a loose shoulder-length ponytail, with long bangs framing her face.

…She looked familiar. You narrowed your eyes in thought, trying to remember where you saw her.

The woman popped a piece of pink gum in her mouth, and glanced up as she finally noticed you standing near her. You froze as she looked at you, and you quickly apologized and shuffled past her, hoping your neighbor didn’t think she lived next to a creep. As you hurried by, she waved her hand and spoke up to get your attention. You stopped in your tracks, turning your head back to the blonde.

“Hi! Do you live on this floor?” she asked cheerfully, before rethinking her statement with a purse of her red lips. “Then again, I suppose you wouldn’t _be_ here if you didn’t.”

“I do. Next door, actually,” you replied, gesturing to your apartment door. Since you were located near the end of the hallway, only one room was adjacent to yours, thankfully. “I assume you’re moving in.”

The woman piped up, flashing you a wide smile, and the gloss of her red lipstick shimmered in the light.

“I am! My name’s Naori Jones. I came here from the United States. You see, my grandmother is Japanese, but the rest of my family isn’t, so I wanted to experience Japan for myself.”

“Well, I’d say you’re off to a good start. Your Japanese is very good,” you complimented with a smile of your own.

“I know, right!?” she boasted and laughed, high-pitched and energetic. “When I turned eight, I asked my grandmother to teach me a few words, and I learned more from there. My mom, despite being half-Japanese _and_ knowing it herself, thought it’d be useless to teach it to me since most of the people in America speak English or Spanish.” Naori began to twirl a lock of hair around her index finger. Clockwise, then letting the hair fall. Counter-clockwise, then letting the hair fall again. “I’m not fluent, per se, but I can hold a conversation really well. And, between you and me…” she lowered her voice a little, smirking. “It’s fun to talk about people right under their noses. We were at a StarStrucks Cafe, and there was this really rude barista who—”

“All due respect, Naori, shouldn’t you be focused on moving your stuff in?” you interrupted, impatiently shifting your work bag from one shoulder to the other. Your shoulders and back were beginning to ache from carrying your heavy laptop, and talking to Naori only prolonged your physical discomfort.

She dismissively waved her hand. “Pffft, _no._ That’s what the movers are for, so I don’t need to help them. Besides, I give them water and snacks, at least.” She then fell quiet, looking at you from head to toe, then toe to head, examining you like bacteria under a microscope. Naori nodded to herself before clasping her hands together.

“Unpacking, on the other hand, _you_ could help me with!”

You flinched at her assertive response, and waved your hands quickly and defensively.

“Wait, Naori, I—”

She slapped one of her hands on your shoulders, acrylic fingernails gently digging into the fabric of your jacket. You inwardly grimaced; the jacket was brand new, and if Naori’s _talons_ cut a hole into it, you would demand she give you the money to purchase a new one. Not a great first impression for either of you, but you could accept the consequences.

 _“Please_ , neighbor!” she begged, a somewhat nasally whine overtaking her tone. “I’m _dying_ to have someone to talk to! All my friends are back in America, and because of time zones, none of them are awake when I am, and—!”

 _“Fine,”_ you muttered, releasing an exasperated sigh. You just wanted to end the conversation and _go home._ “Fine. I’ll help you unpack. _If,_ and only if, you help. I don’t want to be the only one doing all the work.”

She quite literally squealed and jumped for joy, and the plastic bracelets on her arms slid up and down her elbows, clicking and clacking as they collided with each other. Finishing the conversation, you (begrudgingly) promised you’d return in an hour. She agreed, acknowledging your promise, and you headed into your apartment. Once inside, you set your work bag on your table, before stretching. Soon, you began to feel the weight of fatigue settle onto your body, so you groggily sauntered towards your bed and curled up into the covers. Sandwiched between warm blankets, a cushiony mattress, and comfortable pillows, you closed your eyes in preparation for a much-needed nap.

Your alarm rang fifty minutes later, and after reluctantly leaving the warm confines of your bed, you freshened up and walked to Naori's apartment. Her entryway was still wide open, just like it was when you first saw her, and brown and white cardboard boxes littered her floor and walls. Some boxes were stacked so high that they leaned like the Tower of Pisa, and you felt uneasy knowing they could potentially fall at any second. Unfazed by the state of her living room, Naori welcomed you inside, and soon, the two of you worked to unpack. You began with essentials like hygiene and cleaning products, before moving onto kitchen and dining ware, then electronics and clothing. After a few arduous hours of lifting and putting items away, you both finally finished and settled down to rest.

Utilizing a large box as a makeshift table, the two of you sat across from each other, discussing some things, and Naori placed a pile of foreign-looking snacks between you both. Using your hands to sift through the selection, you made mental notes of what pieces of candy and snack foods she had to offer. You could read a fair amount of English, though speaking it was another matter entirely; basic conversation was no problem for you, but you immediately felt lost when hearing someone discuss advanced topics like politics, or hearing certain idioms or jokes. Picking up a few items, you began to make out some of the words.

“You have some Kitty-Katty bars, some barbecue chips, and ma…maniiiiiiii…” You looked at Naori, holding up a bright red lollipop that was in the shape of a hand. The wrapper itself featured a young woman wearing a red bandanna on her head, and underneath one of her hands was a crystal ball.

“I don’t recognize what this says,” you admitted. “What language is it?”

“Oh! ‘Manita de la suerte’ is Spanish,” Naori corrected. “Means ‘little hand of luck’, I believe. It’s a cherry-flavored lollipop from Mexico. It tastes really good, if you wanna try one.”

“W-Wait, _Mexico?_ How did you bring candy from there?” You stammered in disbelief, before you took a moment to think. “In fact, how did you get _any_ of these into the country? I thought you couldn’t take outside food or drinks on a plane?”

“Not if you’re like my dad, and you own a private jet,” she sweetly replied with a wink, bringing her phone in front of her and typing in her password. “I can bring what I want onto the plane, in that case.” Astonished, you stared at the lollipop, rolling the stick back and forth between your thumb and index finger.

Just how rich _was_ she?

Both of you fell silent as Naori used her phone, acrylic nails clicking with each tap and touch she made on the screen. Trying to ignore the irritating sound, you focused on eating the man…mani…the mani-pop; it indeed tasted delightfully like cherry flavoring, and your tongue was already beginning to turn a deep red color from the candy. Suddenly, Naori faced her phone towards you and asked if you could look at some pictures. The image she showed consisted of a concert area, where Nazuna’s stage was in the background—

“Wait. Did you go to the Interspecies Welcome Festival?” you asked, pulling the lollipop out of your mouth and leaning closer to the phone. The screen was a little scratched (probably from the claws she called “nails”), but you could see the image just fine. Perking up a little, Naori excitedly answered.

“Oh, of _course!_ It was so fun to party with the local beastmen! I even met this really cute maned wolf at one of the bar areas. He was _super_ tall, and had a really nice butt.”

As you processed her words, the gears in your head began to turn and click, and _now_ you remembered where you saw her.

"You were talking with Inari. He's my co-worker," you told her with a smile.

"No way! Actually, wait…” she narrowed her eyes, getting a closer look at your face. Her brows raised as she came to a realization. “Ohh, I recognize you now! You sat next to him! Inari said you helped with interspecies affairs like he did, but I didn't get to talk to you before you left. Inari was still a fun chat, at least."

You crossed your arms, lollipop still in hand, and leaned against the top of the box.

"Well, if you still want to talk, we can do that. Why did you move to Anima City?"

“Hm…While I came to Japan for the culture, I came to Anima City because I heard beastman guys were cute."

A bit of a shallow reason, but given what you’ve seen of her so far, that sounds accurate. In addition, that’s not the first time you’ve heard of humans coming to Anima City for the purpose of finding dates or getting laid.

"Well…" she double-backed on her statement a little, eyes furrowed as she frowned. "That, and I'm kinda rebelling against my parents. They talk about 'horrible beastmen' this, and 'horrible beastmen' that, calling them terrorists and whatnot. I was sick of it." She twirled a lock of hair around her index finger again, clockwise, counter-clockwise, clockwise. "So, they know I'm in Japan, but not in Anima City."

"All due respect, isn't that a bit dangerous?" you asked with concern. She just smiled again.

"My grandmother knows, at least. Growing up, she was friends with a beastman boy in her village. With that in mind, you’d think that my mom wouldn’t have issues with them.” Naori stopped playing with her hair, and picked up a white chocolate Kitty-Katty bar. Even just from opening the package, the bar began to melt a little from the heat of her fingers. “Me, though? The festival was my first time meeting them in person. Even though Japan has its own set of biases against beastmen, it's still a _lot_ more forgiving than the United States."

“Yeah, I’ve heard about how some countries overseas treat beastmen. Is it true that America is divided into human-only and beastman-only areas?”

She nodded solemnly.

“Mixed integration is still illegal, and the current president is trying to deport all beastmen. It’s pretty sad. Well, _more_ than sad, but…” she shook her head. “This is depressing me. Can we talk about something else?”

“Yeah, sorry,” you quickly apologized, sticking the lollipop back into your mouth.

Naori continued to flip through pictures on her phone, and came across a photo of her and a short black-furred cat that came up to her chest. She had an arm wrapped around his shoulder, and his arm was around her hip, and they both held up a “peace” sign with their fingers. In the photo, her expression was lively and optimistic, whereas the cat only shot a small smile towards the camera, and his face had an undertone of annoyance.

“Oh! This is Taka. I also met him at the festival,” Naori cheerfully stated, showing you more pictures of the two of them. Her acrylic nails _still_ clicked each time they hit the screen, _still_ grating your nerves. “He’s so cute! According to his falcon friend Skyla, he acts like he hates everything, but in reality, he was enjoying himself at the festival. So, he’s like a tsundere, if you really think about it.”

Did she _really_ just use anime terminology to describe someone’s personality?

"I actually invited him over, but since he’s a college student working on his senior project, he won’t be able to come over until September, or so." Naori popped another piece of gum in her mouth. “Until then, we’re just texting each other in a group chat the three of us set up.”

"Oh, interesting. Where does he go?"

Naori thought for a few moments, chewing on the gum still.

"He didn't say, actually. But, I asked if he had a job, and he mentioned he builds computers. I joked that he could probably hide a bomb in one or something, but he started yelling at me and said I shouldn't say things like that," she stated, glancing at the front of her hand to inspect her nails. "Skyla had to keep telling him to calm down. It was pretty funny to watch, actually."

“I don’t blame him, to be honest. That’s a bit of a serious topic.”

She blew a bubble with the wad of gum in her mouth, and quickly popped it.

"Lighten up, you. But, all-in-all, he's cute. Short-tempered, and, well, _short,_ but cute."

Naori browsed the internet as you finished the manita-pop and disposed of the trash, before she glanced at you with a look of concern. She turned her phone screen towards you again, and your eyes scanned across an article titled, _“THE PACK: One step closer to shutting them down?”_

"'The Pack'? Who's that?" Naori asked, all traces of hyper energy gone from her voice.

"An anti-human organization," you stated with a regretful frown. "They're like The Family, except The Family targets humans who've wronged them. The Pack targets _all_ humans."

"...And who's 'The Family',” Naori deadpanned, expression becoming increasingly worried.

"A mafia, led by a beluga whale named ‘Giuliano Flip’. Just don’t mess with them, and they shouldn’t come after you."

"Um…” Naori began, voice suddenly soft and a little anxious. “Was it a good idea for me to move here?"

You hesitated to say anything, wanting to take a moment to formulate a proper response. Taking a deep breath after a bit of silence, you began to reply. “You moving to Anima City definitely helps the city’s reputation, so it’s good that you’re here. And, not that what I'm about to say makes things better, but groups like this exist no matter where you go. I mean, think about the number of human-based terrorist groups that target _other humans_ , for instance, so this isn’t just a beastman thing. Just keep yourself safe, and try to stay out of trouble."

She solemnly nodded, and began to scroll downwards.

"Hmm. Well, this article says more and more members of The Pack are being arrested. That's good, right? Must mean they're getting sloppy."

"Must be," you blindly agreed. In truth, you wondered if this was some sort of distraction to keep the police busy, but you didn’t want to frighten Naori more than she already may have been. As a result, you kept quiet, despite the uneasy anxiety that churned in your stomach.

Once 9PM rolled around, you and Naori finished your conversation, and she got to work on making herself feel more at home. The blonde thanked you and promised to reward you for your help, which you accepted, and you returned to your apartment.

Exhausted from helping Naori unpack, you ate dinner and took a quick, refreshing shower, basking in the warm water as it pelted your skin and flowed down your shoulders and back. Once finished, you slipped into a t-shirt and comfortable pajama pants, before tiredly trudging to your bed. You slumped onto your mattress, groaning as your muscles ached from some of the lifting you and Naori did, and you closed your eyes. With fatigue overriding you, you took a few deep breaths and attempted to relax yourself; within a few minutes, you began to snooze softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of Shirou, but I wanted to establish a few other things. However, I hope the next two chapters I have planned make up for that. Stay tuned!
> 
> And for anyone wondering why I listed idioms and jokes as advanced topics for the reader understanding English, that's because I feel like you need to have a pretty firm grasp on a language to understand how native speakers/signers value and express humor, and what is and isn't considered funny. Means you know the ins and outs of the culture, too.


	4. Aphrodisiac

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahoy mateys, thar be pseudo-smut ahead. Guess that shoots this here fic up to an M-ratin' now. Although, the pseudo-smut has a purpose, I swear. D:
> 
> ~~I say "pseudo-smut" because my main intent is to just describe what's happening in a situation that just happens to have a sexual tone, versus trying to do something exclusively for erotic purposes. I'm fine with describing things like nudity and whatnot, but I'm uncomfortable with the idea of writing actual smut, sorry.~~
> 
> Also, gonna try to aim for uploading a chapter once a week, though some of the more in-depth ones may take me a little longer than others. Sound good? Good. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 16th.

It'd been over a month since Naori moved in next door. Sometimes when you arrived home from work, you would find her waiting for you in her doorway, asking how your day went before pulling you inside her apartment to chat. During your conversations, she would treat you to dinner, and much to your surprise, the blonde displayed a fair amount of prowess with cooking. She mentioned the food she typically made was from the American Midwest, where she grew up, treating you to dishes like buttered and sugared grits, chili and cornbread, sweet barbecued ribs with corn on the cob, and fried chicken and potatoes with sweet corn…Corn, corn, so much _corn._

Of the foods she made so far, the fried chicken took your fancy the most. It was salted and spiced just enough to give a rush of flavor, but not so much to overpower your taste buds and send you bolting to the kitchen to thoroughly rinse your mouth with water. The fried skin had a satisfying crunch, complemented by the soft, juicy meat underneath, and by God, her cooking put the local KFCs to _shame._ You offered to pay her to make the chicken when Christmas rolled around, and while she obliged the prospect of having a fried chicken Christmas dinner with you, she denied the offer of money.

“You being a good neighbor is payment enough,” she said at the time. Then Naori began to laugh, head thrown back as her shoulders joyfully bounced from laughter. “Besides, I’m already loaded as is! I don't really need more money.”

Other days, the two of you met in your apartment to hang out for the evening. You returned the favor of cooking, giving Naori Japanese food instead of American food, and she quite literally squealed at the top of her lungs after you introduced her to a pork cutlet bowl. She mentioned she only saw these in anime, and that they looked _delicious,_ and she “could finally die happily”, having eaten one.

You also found her use of a fork instead of chopsticks to be highly amusing.

Today, Naori visited your apartment again, this time in the afternoon instead of the evening; you were working remotely, and so long as she didn’t bother you, you permitted her to stay as long as she liked. Earlier this morning, Director Shika ordered everyone in your department to work from home, mentioning that there was suspicious activity reported with some sort of drug being transported around the city. Fortunately, Shirou and the police department were sent to investigate the case and arrest whoever was involved. While you worked, Naori sat on the floor in the middle of your apartment, painting her fingernails an assortment of bright highlighter colors. As she did so, she watched a Netflicks film on her phone, thankfully wearing earbuds so you weren’t disturbed. After a while, what _did_ irk you was the chemical odor of the nail polish permeating the air in the room, and you could practically _taste_ the fumes on the back of your tongue. You had to prop open your front door, lest your room start _oozing_ nail polish smell, and Naori apologized, promising she was almost finished.

Eventually, 5PM rolled around, and you were able to log off for the evening. Ever since two in the afternoon, you were stuck in the middle of a back-and-forth stalemate between your boss and a human client who owned a bar. In essence, the client complained about drunk beastmen transforming in her bar and destroying part of the interior property as they fought. She was powerless to stop them. Director Shika posed the possibility of hiring beastman bouncers to diffuse any fighting, but the client argued that, in her eyes, hiring beastmen would _escalate_ her problem. Your boss, masking his irritation, then brought a valid counterpoint: considering that humans were physically inferior to transformed beastmen, relying on beastmen employees would be her safest (and most cost-efficient) bet. The client continued to rebuff his proposal, raising her voice, and once again declared that she wanted _less_ transformed beastmen in her bar, not _more._ As the mediator, you attempted to explain that, while you and your boss understood the client’s concern, she needed to compare the pros and cons of hiring beastmen to the pros and cons of hiring humans. To your dismay, she rejected _your_ statement as well. With the three of you frustrated (you and Director Shika managed to maintain your composures, though the client was red-faced, and even slammed a hand on her desk at one point), the meeting was adjourned, and set to continue the following Monday.

After closing your work laptop, you forced your head in your hands, took a deep breath, and screamed curses into your palms. Your shouting wasn’t too loud, thankfully, due to your hands muffling the sounds of your pent-up yelling. God, you needed a drink.

“Wow, you went from zero to eleven in a millisecond,” Naori commented, pulling out one of her earbuds. The one in her fingers was a lilac purple, while the other earbud was a hot pink color. “I even heard your screaming through the sound of my movie.” You crossed your arms and slumped in your chair, sighing heavily as you tiredly glanced at her.

“I’m sorry, I just…That woman was so _difficult,_ Naori. I don’t understand it.”

“What happened?” the blonde asked, tilting her head curiously. “Or…is it one of those confidential things I can’t ask about?” You released a frustrated sigh, crossing your arms as you began to explain the predicament.

“A group of beastmen walk into a bar. They start brawling and destroying things. You have to decide between hiring beastmen bouncers, or human bouncers,” you bluntly and curtly summarized with a flat tone of voice.

“You know, that first bit sounded like the start to a joke. But, I’d hire beastmen bouncers right off the bat. Even the strongest humans wouldn’t be a match for a beastman who transforms. Plus, I mean…” Naori tapped her index finger, donning a bright electric blue fingernail, against her chin and pursed her bright pink-lipsticked lips. “I could either have human staff and cover their hospital bills _in addition_ to the damage done to the bar, or I could just focus my money on repairs and let beastmen staff handle the fights.”

You sprinted from your chair, almost knocking it over in your pursuit to reach Naori. Panting a little from the sudden rush of adrenaline, you placed your hands on her shoulders, and for a second, her face held a confused expression.

 _“Thank. You,”_ you slowly enunciated, absolutely _relieved_ by her answer after experiencing the chaotic mess that was your client. If you could cry tears of joy, you would end up flooding the interior of your apartment with a tsunami of waterworks, and probably all of Anima City as well. Naori goofily smiled, placing her hands on your shoulders in return.

“You’re welcome.”

You both flinched as a series of frantic bangs struck your door, and after exchanging a look of worry with Naori, you snuck towards the peephole as quietly as you could. You breathed nervously, but as silently as you could muster, as more adrenaline began to rush through your body. Heart pumping and head buzzing with thoughts of _fight! flight! fight! flight!,_ you cautiously looked through the peephole on your door. Through it, you saw Shirou in human form, chest heaving up and down, as his normally pale cheeks were painted a furious red. Feeling the sense of dread dissipate, you rushed to unlock the door and there Shirou stood in the space of your doorway, balancing himself with his hand against the wall, and with a noticeable erection underneath the fabric of his pants.

…

Wait, wha—

"I-I know this is unexpected," Shirou stuttered, intensely staring you down. His face flushed from a mixture of what seemed to be arousal and embarrassment, though primarily the latter. "But I—I need—hm…" His eyes flicked to Naori, disapproving and threatening, though either she didn’t notice or she didn’t care, because she raised her brows in interest at his sudden appearance. She stared between his legs, and you were about to scold her for her ogling, before she looked away and addressed you.

"Who's this hunk?"

As you faced her to respond, you could feel Shirou’s fierce eyes on you for the second time. Your adrenaline began to race again, but for a different reason now.

"Naori, I don’t know what’s happening, but you’ll need to leave."

She pouted and stuck her tongue at you, before grabbing her nail polish bottles and storing her phone in her pocket, standing up and walking past you and Shirou. The glass bottles clinked together in her arms as she walked, and she stopped in your doorway, standing next to the beastman.

"Fine, fine. But you need to _warn_ me next time you decide to invite a guy over,” the blonde goaded, throwing a mischievous smirk in your direction. Your brows furrowed somewhat and you gave an apologetic smile.

"Naori, I promise, this is as impromptu for me as it is for you. I’ll make it up to you. How does a pork cutlet dinner sound?"

“Promise accepted,” she delightfully hummed, before winking at you. “Have fun.”

Once Naori left for her apartment, you gestured for Shirou to enter yours, only for him to back you against the door after you closed it. He moderately slammed his hands against either side of your head, and you were trapped under both his body and his hard, steely expression. You could feel his rugged breathing against your cheeks, hot and heavy, yet shaky in a desperate attempt to be contained. All of his fingers curled inwards as they flexed, making the fabric of his gloves rustle ever so slightly against the doorframe. In addition, his muscles tensed with each subtle movement he made, as if forcing his body to hold back.

“I…I'm sorry…” Shirou lowly muttered, but the words soon died in his throat as he fell silent. Despite his demeanor, his face now held an expression of anguish, as if he were ashamed, utterly _ashamed,_ of the current predicament.

“It’s fine. I can help you with whatever you need,” you quickly reassured him, shifting to make yourself more comfortable against the door. Shirou nodded in acknowledgment, and without any hesitation, he placed his head into the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply to take in your scent. You instinctively raised your head to give him more access, and he kissed your neck accordingly, starting just above your clavicle and working upwards to your jawline. His lips were hot against your skin, and you felt your neck warm up from his actions.

"M-Mind telling me what happened?" you questioned, grunting as he grazed against a particularly sensitive spot.

"...an aphrodisiac, for trafficking purposes—truck had darts in it—one struck me while I fought…" Shirou curtly murmured between kisses. He then drew back for a moment, taking his hands off the door and resting them on your hips. Shirou looked you in the eyes with that bothered expression again, reeling himself back and attempting to maintain his composure.

"I'm sorry, I just—I need this—I feel like an animal in heat." He paused, taking the moment to lean closer to your face. "If _anything_ makes you uncomfortable, tell me to stop."

You nodded, and upon receiving your consent, Shirou hurriedly closed the gap between you both with a kiss. The kiss, like the rest of his body, was needy yet somewhat restrained, and his lips felt surprisingly soft against yours. You could feel the burning warmth of his cheek radiate onto your skin, as well as the heaving of his chest against yours with each sharp inhale and exhale through his nose. Shirou pushed up the sides of your shirt with his hands, gloved finger tips caressing and teasing the exposed skin as the hem of your shirt bunched around his wrists. Meanwhile, you ran a hand through Shirou's white hair, and rested your other hand on his shoulder, continuing to let him explore your body. With his lips still on yours, Shirou took a moment to remove his gloves, to remove the barrier between lovely skin-to-skin contact, and promptly returned to touching and feeling you after they fell to the ground. His palms were warm and even a bit clammy, probably from a mixture of being contained in his gloves, and due to his current state of arousal. His wandering hands then traveled south, beneath the waistline of your pants and inside your underwear, and palmed the flesh of your ass, prompting you to release a small moan. Thrumming lowly in response to your reaction, he took this as an opportunity to slide his tongue into your mouth.

He tasted like boba.

Your own face began to heat up as you aimed to remove his clothes, sliding your hands from Shirou’s hair and shoulder and all the way down to the bottom of his shirt, impatiently lifting it up. He briefly stepped away from you, assisting your endeavor, and was on you again once his shirt was fully off and thrown onto the floor. From the brief glimpse you got before he kissed you again, you saw that his body was littered with scars, with an especially prominent one running diagonally from the bottom of his pecs to the bottom of his stomach. It looked to be a few years old, with the skin around the edges appearing rough and torn, and it glistened a silvery-pink shimmer in the light of your apartment. Shirou went to return the favor, grasping the bottom of your shirt and pulling upwards, but you cupped the sides of his cheeks and gently pushed his face away from yours. A quiet wet smack was heard as your lips separated, and a low growl of complaint rumbled in his throat.

"Shirou, we should take this to the bed," you suggested, panting softly with a flushed face. Nodding, he withdrew his wandering hands and relented from any further advances, only allowing for enough time for you both to walk to your mattress. Once there, Shirou laid you on your back, hooked his fingers around your pants and underwear, and pulled them away from your waist and legs. Following suit, you lifted your shirt from your body, exposing the rest of yourself to him as the air of your apartment brushed over your naked form and sent slight chills down your spine. Shirou was quiet besides the labored breathing coming from his nose, and his hands delicately stroked from your chest all the way down to your thighs. Carefully, tactfully, as if you were a china doll that would shatter from his touches, though the searing warmth from his hands made up for the chilly temperature of your apartment. Here, you took the time to actually _look_ at him; with the large trench coat he constantly wears, you never realized how muscled he was besides seeing his forearms on occasion. His full body was lightly toned, which made sense, considering that his job required him to be fit. His pecs weren't broad by any means, but they were fairly-defined, and the same applied to his biceps, abdomen, obliques, and other muscle groups…Not too muscular, but not too flabby. Right in the middle.

Goldilocks.

You inwardly giggle-snorted at the comparison to a fairy tale, before Shirou stood, unbuckling his belt and beginning to remove his own pants. A happy trail of white hair peeked out from just above the waistline, and as more of his pelvis was revealed, you swallowed thickly, and your eyes were drawn down, down down…

Oh.

No boxers.

"You went commando, I see," you commented, a smirk growing on your face as you sat up, using your elbows to prop your upper body on top of the mattress.

"...It was hot today," he grumbled, carelessly tossing his pants to the side, and the belt clinked as it hit the floor. Fully nude now (save for his collar), Shirou went to settle on top of you, but you placed a hand on his chest and stopped him. He complied, halting in his place, and his expression immediately changed to that of concern.

"I know you're hot and bothered, but you came to me on a whim. I'd like to prepare myself first."

"No need," Shirou countered, the concern fading away as he retreated to the end of the bed and threw your legs over his shoulders. He planted his head between your thighs, pulling you close by keeping a firm grip on your hips, and shot you a determined, dominating look.

"I'll get you ready, myself."

~~~§~~~

After taking a much-needed shower and replacing your soiled bed sheets, you began cooking hamburgers on your kitchen stove, opting to make two burgers each for you and Shirou. Since he was a wolf, you figured something meat-related would be beneficial for him to eat; gives him some extra strength and more nutrients, and whatnot. You cautiously flipped two meat patties over in the pan, and pressed into them with a spatula, listening to the crackling sizzles and pops as the patties browned and cooked. This was the first time you made American cuisine without Naori’s assistance, so you crossed your fingers that the meat wouldn’t be under-seasoned or undercooked. Thankfully, you managed to make the first two patties without trouble, and cut into the centers of both with a knife to see if they were fully-cooked. Check for pink, check for any blood…There was none of either. Good. Satisfied, you lifted them out of the pan and onto a separate plate, and began to cook the second pair.

Meanwhile, Shirou leaned against the wall next to you, now in wolf form. He was shirtless, since human clothing didn't account for stretching during a transformation (made sense, considering your species didn't, well, _transform),_ though he did wear a baggy pair of sweatpants you owned. Although the pants legs themselves looked puffy around his legs, the interior elastic belt snugly hugged around his waist, framing the shape of his pelvis as it dipped underneath the sweatpants. Because of his tail, he had to wear the sweats lower than a human would, giving a teasing peek at the top of his buttocks from the side and back views of his body. Just like in human form, the scars on his body showed on his naked torso, though they were more difficult to see underneath his plush white and blue fur.

Currently on the phone, Shirou was informing Melissa and Gem that he wouldn't return to B Co-Op for the night. He briefly explained the situation, letting them know he was "affected by a hazardous drug", though he avoided any details regarding the actual effects, and how he… _relieved_ himself. Although his phone speakers were fairly quiet, you both suddenly heard a loud, “Tell Shirou I said hi!” blast through the phone, and the wolf grimaced as he held the device away from his ear. In anticipation of more yelling, he continued to hold the phone away, lest he risk his eardrums exploding, before grumbling an irritated, “Hi, Michiru.” Eventually, he went to finish the conversation, saying goodbye and goodnight to the married couple and tanuki girl. Then he suddenly froze and sharply turned his head to you, silent for a few moments. You could faintly hear (though not understand) Melissa as she talked, and Shirou's eyes still remained on you. You stared back at him, with the sounds of cooking meat filling the silence between you.

“…Anima Central Hotel,” he finally responded to her, monotone. “But if anyone needs me, just call me.”

Shirou said another round of goodbyes, before finally hanging up. He crossed his arms, and the silence between you two continued, besides the sizzling of the burgers, and the hissing sound they made as you pressed them down with the spatula. Once the meat was fully browned and cooked, you lifted the remaining two patties onto the plate to join the others.

“I’d like to apologize”, Shirou suddenly stated, watching as you retrieved a bag of sesame seed buns from a high cabinet.

“For what? I don't recall you doing anything awful to me,” you replied, setting the buns on the counter as you worked to untwist the wire that sealed the bag. The plastic quietly crinkled in your hands as you worked to open it, and when the twist tie was removed, the opening of the bag slowly folded outwards and slumped onto the countertop. Even from your peripheral vision, you could see Shirou give you a disapproving stare.

"You know what I'm talking about."

"You’re right, I _do_ know. My statement still stands."

"You don’t understand," he asserted, tightening his grip on his arms and gritting his teeth. "The drug took over my body, and I couldn’t think. I should have fought harder against it—"

 _"Shirou,"_ you interrupted, whipping your head around to face him as you were determined to stand your ground. "Now _you're_ the one overthinking. I said I would help, and I did. If you made me uncomfortable, I would have told you.” You released a frustrated sigh, grabbing two plates and setting them next to the bag of buns. “No need to dwell on it anymore."

Shirou grumbled under his breath as you prepared your plate. You took two hamburger buns from the bag and set them onto your plate, before splitting both pairs of buns open and placing a meat patty onto each of the bottom buns. The wolf then exhaled deeply and continued speaking, uncrossing his arms as he fully stood up from your wall, straight and tall. His eyes were _also_ filled with an unswerving determination and confidence.

"Regardless, I'd like to make things up to you."

"How so?" you asked, turning to face him, only to realize how _close_ he had suddenly gotten to you. You didn’t even _hear_ him walk over to you, so how did he…? But, the sudden close proximity made your face and the tips of your ears flush a little as you looked at him.

“Shirou?”

Without a word, and without hesitation, the wolf switched back to human form and tilted your chin to the side with his thumb and forefinger, before kissing your lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this entire chapter has a purpose, I promise. O3O
> 
> And, even though Shirou canonically doesn't have scars, I feel like his more serious injuries would leave some behind.


	5. A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shirou POV ahead! And, I gotta say, this chapter was an absolute blast to write. >u<
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> (Also, there's a tiiiiiiny amount of pseudo-smut in this chapter)

As Shirou kissed you, his breathing was calmer and more stabilized, and unlike when he first showed at your door, he no longer felt the urge to run eager, needy hands all over your body. Instead, his chest evenly raised and fell, and his touch was feather-light as the skin of his finger and thumb was warm against your chin. The kiss felt simple, but gentle, greatly contrasting his actions from earlier. After a moment, the beastman then pulled away, staring into your eyes as his expression softened. You hadn’t moved since he initiated the kiss, and your expression read a mix between bewilderment and hesitation, possibly caught between wanting to return the kiss, but not wanting to push your luck and overstep any boundaries. His thumb gently rubbed against your bottom lip, feeling against the subtle grooves and dips of your lip’s skin.

It was at this moment that Shirou came to the full realization that he kissed you on his own accord.

He had kissed you, yet he didn't understand _why._ He disliked platonic contact even towards other _beastmen,_ so to an outsider, it would seem that romantic gestures towards a human would be out of the question. On his end, he wanted to take things slow to first adjust to the entire idea of being in a relationship with you. On your end, he figured you wanted to respect his limits, so you always allowed him to make the first move.

"You…You kissed me," you noted as a wobbly yet bright smile grew on your face, and he could feel your skin begin to flush. If you were a canine beastman, your tail would most certainly wag back and forth in a wild display of excitement.

"I did," came a curt reply from Shirou. Upon seeing your joyful smile, his heart fluttered in his chest, and he inwardly scolded himself for feeling like a lovesick teenager pining for their crush. You made him feel so comfortable, so…emotionally-vulnerable.

Part of him hated that. 

“Well…I’d say that makes up for things just fine. Are you ready to eat?” you asked with pleasant delight in your voice, carrying your own plate of food in your hands. Shirou wordlessly nodded and returned to wolf form as the two of you sat at your small table with your own respective plates of food. Before you both began eating, you explained that you made hamburgers based on your neighbor's recipe. Ah, that blonde woman from earlier, “Naori”, he believed you said her name was. Shirou nodded again, lifting a burger into his mouth and taking a small bite. To his surprise, it was fairly good, adding up to a blend of foreign flavors he couldn't place his finger on, but as strange as the meal was, it tasted delicious. The meat was perfectly-cooked, and truth be told, he wouldn’t have had a clue that tonight was your first time making hamburgers if you haven’t told him beforehand.

You both continued to silently eat dinner, save for the gentle _wrrrrrrr-ing_ of your air conditioner and the _vrooms_ of speeding vehicles passing by your apartment building. As sunset settled outdoors, street lights flickered on, and white rays shone through your window, casting a rectangle of light against your back wall. You stood up and headed to your window to pull your blinds down, and the diffused light created a soft rimming effect around your body, outlining you like a silhouette. You gave Shirou a small smile as you came back to the table, and the wolf returned one of his own, finishing the last of his burger. Once the only items left on your plates were bread crumbs and scattered sesame seeds, the two of you placed the dirty dishes on the counter next to your sink.

Two hours later, around 10PM, the two of you opted to retire for the night. Since tomorrow was a work day, both of you needed to wake up in the early hours of the morning for your respective jobs. Typically, Shirou relied on Gem’s early-morning crowing as a makeshift alarm, but tonight, the alarms on your phone or his own phone would suffice. The wolf watched as you stretched your arms and back, inhaling and exhaling sharply with each pull of your muscles, and as you snuggled underneath your bed sheets. You pulled your blankets all the way up to your chin, and you curled into them like a shrimp wrapped around the rim of a cocktail bowl. Shirou strolled to the side of the bed and grabbed one of your pillows, giving you a sideways glance.

"I'll sleep on the floor."

He saw as you quickly sat up, and your bed sheet covers bunched around your waist. You frowned, seemingly disappointed and disapproving of his decision, and reached towards him and tugged on one of the corners of the pillow he held onto.

"No you won’t. Get in the bed,” you ordered, as if he were some kind of puppy needing to be reeled in.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable," he pressed on, tightening his grip around the pillow. You sighed heavily, giving a more forceful tug to bring him closer to the mattress.

"Shirou, we _had sex_ just a few hours ago. If I wasn't uncomfortable then, I certainly won't be uncomfortable now."

The wolf hesitated for a moment, narrowing his dull green eyes as he considered your words. Yes, you both had sex, and yes, he had technically already been in your bed. But, his stomach tightened somewhat from the guilt and regret he felt as a result of the situation. How were you so _content_ with what happened earlier, so _accepting_ of his drug-induced advances, so _unbothered_ by the difference in your species?

 _“Shirou,”_ you repeated, forcing out a stern tone as you called his name. Now, you sounded like someone scolding their foolish spouse. “It is _fine_ for you to sleep in the bed.”

With that, the wolf begrudgingly submitted, returning the pillow to the front of the bed and climbing onto the right side of the mattress. Your blankets held a snug warmth, and your mattress felt firm and comfortable as Shirou settled beside you. Dare he say it, he preferred _your_ bed to his own at B Co-Op; his was moderately old and squeaked on occasion, and on particularly bad nights, the squeaking made it sound like he brought a lady of the night into his room.

The wolf made a mental note to ask you what brand your mattress was.

Now fully lying down, Shirou’s left ear was pressed into the curve of the pillow as he turned his back to you, and he heard you noisily shuffle behind him as the bed sheets ruffled and rustled together. You probably turned away as well, he assumed, since it wouldn’t be ideal for you to awkwardly stare at his back while you both tried to sleep.

“Good night, Shirou,” you then said to him. Out of pure instinct, his right ear turned in your direction, picking up the sound of your voice.

“Good night.”

The wolf didn’t know how many minutes passed, but he could tell by your steady breathing that you were now asleep. But, while you were deep in slumber, Shirou stayed awake, restless as his thoughts buzzed and bustled in his head. His lack of fatigue wasn’t helped by the fact your scent swarmed the room, appealing to his instincts like a succubus to a lecherous man. The pillow he laid on was especially thick with it, and the thought of wanting to bury his nose into your pillow and drink in the comfort of your scent was enticing, to say the least. But, no matter how much his innate desires wanted to bask in you, he wouldn’t be tempted.

The wolf deeply exhaled, closing his eyes, and knowing sleep wouldn’t come to him anytime soon, he took a moment to ponder his situation.

To think, when he first met you, you were a new addition to Director Shika’s team as an assistant. Both the mayor and the director were optimistic to officially announce you as a new employee, which unsurprisingly garnered mixed reception from the beastman populace. Besides escorting you to work and home, Shirou didn't pay you much mind, and even scoffed at the idea of the mayor hiring a human. But, after a few weeks, Michiru urged him to give you a chance.

~~~§~~~

_"If the mayor trusts who she hired, you should, too!" the then nineteen-year-old excitedly chirped, feeding Kuro some dog kibble as he roosted on her shoulder. The crow let out a satisfied caw, greedily pecking at and swallowing the pellets as he indulged himself in the dried food. "Shirou, this is good news for humans and beastmen alike." Skeptical of the tanuki teen’s words, the wolf raised a disapproving brow as he sat at his desk, crossing his furred arms._

_"Don't forget what happened with Alan Sylvasta and Prime Minister Shiramizu."_

_Somewhat deflated, though knowing he was technically right, Michiru disappointedly frowned as she stroked a finger underneath Kuro’s beak. The crow’s feathers fluffed up, and he lifted his head in hopes of earning more scratches. "True, but one was a shady politician, and the other was a CEO who actually wasn’t even a human. Whoever the mayor hired isn't either of those, so maybe things will be OK."_

_Somewhat flabbergasted and unamused by the girl’s leap of logic, Shirou warily narrowed his green eyes in her direction. Regardless, Michiru offered an optimistic smile, letting Kuro flap onto the top of her head and settle in her blue hair._

_"Shirou…I know I won't be able to understand your pain when it comes to humans. But, I still want you to realize not all humans are like Prime Minister Shiramizu, nor do they have the same motives as Alan Sylvasta. I mean, you're fine with me, aren't you? Maybe you can extend some of that trust to one human at a time."_

_**"Michiru**_ _**,"** he growled curtly and coldly, wanting to finish the conversation then and there. By nature, humans were scumbags who only pillaged and destroyed whatever they wanted for their own selfish needs; he only trusted Michiru because she was an exception to that innate behavior. _

_"OK, OK, I realize I just asked you to like another human out of nowhere, and I’m sorry for that. But please, just take baby steps," she replied, ending the conversation with a supportive smile, and sat on the couch in his office, cell phone in hand._

_Later that same evening, after he took you home, Shirou returned to the mayor's building and approached a restricted room that contained vital employee information. A card reader to the door’s left glowed a dull red, and the wolf scanned his ID in front of the device. The reader device beeped and briefly flashed a bright green, allowing Shirou to enter the room and scan the file cabinets inside. Some records dated all the way back to when Anima City was first established over a decade ago, but for you, he wouldn’t need to find anything prior to this year. After searching for your name and retrieving your file, the wolf began to carefully flip through your information. Twenty-two years old, no criminal history, no affiliation with anti-beastman groups…You even befriended some beastmen online and associated yourself with a number of pro-mixed integration groups, it seemed. Still, this wasn't enough proof in Shirou’s eyes; any human could hide their true intentions, and the vast majority did just that._

_…Granted, so could many beastmen (images of Giuliano Flip, Gram Grandma, and Alan flashed through his mind), but that's besides the point. Beastmen did what they had to in order to survive in a cruel world molded by humans._

~~~§~~~

Months later, as he continued to walk you home, the wolf began to warm up to your presence somewhat. Not to the point where he believed he could trust you at all, but…you didn’t give him an unpleasant feeling or make his blood boil, unlike most humans he encountered. Around this time, you worked up the courage to begin making small talk with him, and you also started to thank him for escorting you to your home and workplace. You weren’t prying, nor annoying, and you treated him and your co-workers with respect; you were a surprisingly fresh breath of air among the many other humans he came across.

Now, what _really_ began to persuade Shirou was seeing your behavior gradually change around him. At first, he chalked up your flustered expressions and shift in attitude to almost being caught as a mole, to you nearly blowing your cover for some anti-beastman organization, which prompted him to dig up more information about you. Though, upon giving the situation further thought, even if you _were_ a conniving spy, he would have been able to use your scent to track where you went and arrest you after collecting evidence. And, if you used a chemical solution to _remove_ your scent, that would have immediately made him suspicious from the very beginning. But as your behavior persisted, Shirou quickly figured out why you acted the way you did:

You were attracted to him, despite your flimsy attempts to hide it.

Typically, humans only wanted beastmen for the sex, as a trophy in a disgusting conquest for “exotic” lays (which was unsurprising, considering humans even did this to _each other)._ But with you, the wolf was easily able to toss out lust as a motivation; if you wanted to seduce him, chances are you would've already attempted to do so (and like with that maned wolf Inari, he would have rebuffed all of your efforts, before demanding that you stop).

From that point on, after knowing why your attitude shifted, Shirou decided to watch you for a while and see if this affection was fleeting or genuine. Your passion for supporting beastmen and insistence to treat them as equals was beyond anything Shirou had seen in a human besides Michiru. In fact, your zeal reminded him of how humans used to treat beastmen in Nirvasyl.

But, that sense of companionship was likely just a ploy to deceive the beastmen's trust.

Then, at the ramen shop, the wolf decided to test the extent of your behavior. When he leaned over the table, getting closer to you, you immediately backed away as your eyes widened. You were clearly uncomfortable with the close proximity between your bodies, yet he could see adoration in your eyes. Hesitant, but it was there.

Time passed since that point, and when you both drank tea and watched the fireworks on the night of the festival, he felt…at ease around you. It baffled him that he felt this way towards you, since humans by nature were cold, selfish, murderous, and full of hatred.

But, similar to Michiru, you were an exception.

You wanted to be with him, you wanted to be with a _beastman._ Not for show, not for sex, but for the sake of a legitimate relationship. You even continued to hold feelings for Shirou while _knowing_ he disliked humans. You were dedicated to your responsibilities, and despite the criticisms you received, you did your damnedest to succeed in your position. You treated beastmen like you would another human, and you loved Anima City. With your tenacity, with the level of tolerance you displayed towards beastmen, with the affections you showed towards him…part of Shirou enjoyed being around you. You weren't his first love (for the lack of a better word), nor his first lay, nor were you even a beastman, but you intrigued him regardless. But, it was _because_ you weren’t a beastman that made the other part of his mind loathe the thought of being romantically involved with you.

Oftentimes, the wolf was caught in the midst of a violent war with his emotions regarding you, fighting against his pride as a beastman and his undying loyalty to his people. Should he continue to pursue the relationship, to be with a human, or should he break things off for the sake of his staying true to his values, to stay loyal to his fellow beastmen?

Earlier, when the drug-filled dart struck him and the effects began to take hold, Shirou assumed he could return to his room in B Co-Op and relieve himself before the lust completely overpowered his body. After apprehending the criminals transporting the aphrodisiac, he sprinted off (with the chief detective calling after him, but he ignored it), making a mad dash for B Co-Op. Soon, suggestive and arousing thoughts began to invade his mind, crumbling away at his composure like acid eating through metal. To his surprise, those lewd thoughts only consisted of… _you._

As a result, instead of taking him to the building he resided in, the wolf’s legs carried him to your apartment.

Shifting to human form, but still tracking your scent, he was able to deduce which room you lived in; your scent trail wasn't fresh, but it didn't smell stale in the slightest. Maybe a day old, perhaps. Shirou banged a tightly-curled fist on the wood of your door, and when you opened it, he was _immediately_ hit with a pleasing wave of your scent. His heart raced, and his instincts _screamed_ to take you then and there. When Naori left (much to his delight, thanks to the urges) and he pinned you against the door, he wanted to mark you with kisses, he wanted to tear your clothes off your body and touch you, and he wanted—needed—to make you _his._ But regardless of how he felt, Shirou fought to come to his senses, and he succeeded…somewhat. Voices of conflict argued in Shirou’s mind, between not wanting to frighten or hurt you, or concerned if he was disturbing you. Most of all, he thought about his dedication towards his brethren, and how wrong the situation felt to him.

But at the same time…God, he _wanted_ you, and the moment you gave him your consent was when he knew he crossed the point of no return. His bestial instincts kicked into full gear, overriding his internal conflict, and only one thought pervaded his hazy mind:

Mine.

He couldn’t get enough of hearing your moans spilling out of your mouth, hearing you gasp and plead his name as he took you. It was such a joy to watch you clutch the sheets with a white-knuckled grip, fingertips harshly digging into the fabric.

_Mine._

He relished the way you felt around his cock, squeezing him in just the right places with each snap of his hips, with each thrust into you. At that point, he was _determined_ to show he was the only one who could do this to you, the only one with the privilege to see you come undone and listen to you beg for more.

**_Mine._ **

Once it was all over, Shirou began to feel the aphrodisiac make its course out of his system, leaving him with a side effect of subtle yet slightly pleasurable tingles all over his body. Despite his heavy panting, his skin being sticky with sweat, and his tired, throbbing muscles, Shirou’s mind quickly cleared up, and with it came a feeling of minor regret. While in the heat-like state, it was so easy to touch you, to kiss you, and he reveled in it. And yet…and yet, Shirou felt so _traitorous_ to his species, to his _values._ Even when Nirvasyl still existed, and beastmen and humans seemingly treated each other like kin, romance and sex between the two species were unheard of. He knew the drug influenced his behavior, and he knew you enjoyed yourself, but…

The wolf frowned and his brows furrowed, eyes still closed like earlier. This whole situation was _not_ the way he wanted things to progress between you two.

~~~§~~~

_“Oh, by the way, where are you staying?” Melissa asked him over the phone as he stood in your kitchen. “In case of an emergency, we’ll need to know your whereabouts.”_

_He suddenly froze, looking at you with uncertainty. You stared back at him, curious at his reaction._

_Could he say he was with a friend? No, he never spent much time socializing with people outside of business, and Melissa knew that. The mayor’s? Although he could come up with the excuse that she had the resources to help his…"condition", it would be creepy to imply he’s staying in her personal home. A lover’s? ...No, it’s too early to call you that, and Melissa would no doubt demand more information._

_“Shirou?” Melissa questioned him, tone filled with concern. “Are you alright?”_

_“...Anima Central Hotel,” he lied, keeping his gaze on you. You continued to stare back at him, and the sizzling of cooking meat filled the silence between you two. “But if anyone needs me, just call me.”_

~~~§~~~

Not long after that was when Shirou kissed you. In that moment of intimacy, he didn’t hear the voices, he didn’t think about his pride, he didn’t think about how you were a human. In that moment, you were just… _you._

Shirou’s nostrils were suddenly flooded with your scent, and he opened his eyes to find his muzzle buried in your pillow he laid on, clutching the sides of it with his clawed fingers. When did he…? _Why_ did he…?

But… _oh,_ your natural smell was so _calming,_ so _comfortable._ It felt like an elixir for his senses, capable of soothing him no matter the situation. Despite how satisfied his instincts were, his mind was discontent, reminding him of his pride and how he unconsciously fell to the temptation of your scent, like a sinner drawn to immoral acts.

And yet, also like a sinner, part of him felt compelled to continue defying his common sense in favor of pleasure and satisfaction.

Beside him, you suddenly stirred awake, causing him to flinch out of his trance and rip himself away from your pillow. Shirou sharply sat up, listening as you mumbled about a “stupid bar owner client” and watched while you groggily trudged to your bathroom. The wolf then glanced at your bedside digital clock—it was almost midnight? Where had the time gone?

When you returned, you gave him a hard stare, as if your tired self couldn’t fathom how he ended up in your bed in the first place, before you let out an audible yawn and rubbed your eyes.

“Shirou?” you asked, bags lining the undersides of your bottom eyelids. “You’re still awake? Go to sleep…”

The wolf was about to retort, before you huddled back into the bed and pulled him downwards to face you. From there, he felt you wrap your arms around his furred torso and nestle your head underneath his chin. “…You’re warm,” you mused, tired and delirious from your half-sleep state. “You’re lucky to have all this fur on you.”

He froze in his spot on the bed, fur beginning to bristle from the direct contact. Aside from touches to the shoulder and your shared intimacy earlier (which he refused to count), this was the closest you had physically gotten to him. Meanwhile, the voices once again combated one another.

_You felt nice with your arms around him._

_No, he mustn’t entertain these feelings any longer. His pride as a beastman depended on it._

_But why? There’s no harm in accepting or displaying affection, even from a human. No one else knows, anyway._

Shirou studied the tranquility of your face as you fell asleep again. You looked so peaceful, so untroubled, holding onto him without any fear or reluctance. You made your attraction known to him, not allowing your human upbringing to affect how you saw him, while he did the opposite.

…Maybe if he followed your example, he could understand your mindset more easily.

Shirou’s heart began to race as he hovered a hesitant hand in the air just above your back, but he made no moves past that. Should he embrace you? Should he leave you be? It was so simple, to just lower his hand a few inches, and yet…he couldn't fathom how you held him so easily, nor how he was able to kiss you without hesitation earlier. After a few moments of pondering, the wolf sharply inhaled and kept his eyes focused on you, wanting to clear his mind.

_It’s acceptable to be with a human. Beastman pride won’t be lost because of that._

Repeating these words to himself, the wolf thought about your smile, and he thought about you embracing him. As if having a mind of its own, his hand began to slowly move, getting closer, closer, _closer_ to your back, and the wolf’s pulse roared with anticipation in his ears. His fingertips brushed against the fabric of your shirt, and his heart lurched in his chest from the contact—

Shirou suddenly retracted his hand, distracted by the glimpse of a speeding shadow on your wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, I finally remembered Kuro existed.


	6. New Faces, New Relationships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeah, I knoooooow, it's been way more than a week.
> 
> But! I've been buying stuff for my apartment before school begins, and then I had to move in, and maintenance had to come in and fix stuff around the apartment, and...yeah. S'been a lot going on.
> 
> But, now that I'm fully settled in, I should be A-OK to write more now. Gonna be posting more slowly since school starts in a week or so, but I've already written the drafts of future chapters. >:D
> 
> Enjoy!

Saturated pinks, oranges, and blues of sunrise dimly scattered through the blinds of your window, cascading together to form a gradient of colors against your bed and back wall. Outdoors, birds chirped to welcome the early morning sun, and their melodies came together like an organized choir. Some birds strived for soprano tweets and trills, rapid and staccato-like. Meanwhile, others sang a chorus of low whistles and caws, instead opting for a drawn-out legato rhythm.

Regardless, you hoped whatever the birds talked about was worth all the chatter, considering that their noise woke you up half an hour earlier than usual.

With a groggy yawn, you felt the comfortable lull of sleep begin to fade away, and before long, you opened your eyes. Your vision was blurry, and your eyelids felt a little crusty as you awoke. Grumbling somewhat, you closed your eyes and rubbed them with the back of your right hand in an attempt to clear your eyelids of the grime. Once you were finished, you came to the realization that your left arm buzzed with an irritating numbness. Despite the sensation, you were able to register something soft and plush—yet oddly heavy—against the skin of your arm. The object appeared blue and white, and human-sized, and you racked your brain trying to figure out what (or even _who)_ you brought into bed the previous night.

With a thick fog of half-asleep haze still upon you, your mind swam with confusion as the object shifted, the movement causing its weight to force an annoying pinprick sensation to travel up your arm.

Definitely a “who”, then.

Feeling somewhat alarmed by the stranger in your bed, you attempted to remove your arm from underneath them as quickly as you could. Unfortunately, because of the numbness, you could only uselessly flop it underneath the person, and you inwardly cursed the human body's response to the lack of proper blood flow. They moved again, and needle-like stabs shot through your arm as their weight shifted. Cursing under your breath, you instinctively ripped your arm from underneath the person, and you were met with a harsh growl as they roughly grabbed your wrist. The constriction forced the needles to sting deeper into your skin now, but you made no moves as you froze like a deer in headlights.

After a few moments, the growling lessened and the grip on your wrist softened, before being removed entirely. As if on cue, your eyes began to focus—the blue and white came together to form fur, topped with canine ears and ending in a canine muzzle. Piece-by-piece, your tired mind began to recall what occurred last night, and that you offered to let Shirou sleep in your bed.

…Or more accurately, you supposed, it was less of an offer and more of a command. Unfortunately, you couldn’t remember when or why your arm ended up underneath him—maybe you moved in your sleep? You began to massage your numb arm, and while you thought, Shirou sat up, posture a bit stiff as he gave you a hard stare.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that was you," he apologized, voice low as he frowned. The sunrise light radiated beautifully against his fur, combining a pink-orange hue with his blue-white body. The wolf’s green eyes complemented nicely with the warm-colored light, and if you were a painter, you would love to capture his essence in this moment.

“It’s…fine. I didn’t realize that was you, either,” you admitted, continuing to rub your arm as you now aimed your eyes towards your tingling limb instead of his face. The numbness began to dullen somewhat, though much of it remained as you pressed and massaged your muscles with your thumb. You both sat in an awkward silence as the choir of birds outside continued to sing. Thinking about his adverse reaction, you supposed that Shirou would need to be on-guard at a moment’s notice, which made sense, considering his job. From your peripheral vision, you saw the wolf’s posture shift again as he loosened his muscles and sat up straight. You glanced at him again, and his green eyes met yours. Dark bags lined the bottom of his eyes as he looked at you, and you didn’t realize how prominent they were beforehand, since you were preoccupied with appreciating how the morning light complemented and enhanced his body.

“Shirou, you don’t look like you slept well.”

The wolf wordlessly grunted, getting out of the bed and standing with his side turned to you, facing in the direction of your kitchen. Shirou sharply inhaled as he stretched, and his muscles tensed up as they were worked. The sweatpants he wore somehow managed to slide further down between the time you went to bed and now, beginning to expose a thick layer of happy trail-esque fur. Not wanting to get too caught up in “appreciating” Shirou again, you quickly brought up a suggestion.

“Do you want any breakfast? It might help wake you up a little bit.”

Shirou nodded, before traveling to your bathroom; meanwhile, you entered your kitchen and began to prepare a small breakfast. Just toast and eggs—a simple meal, but still nutritious, of course. Once your stovetop heated to the right temperature, you reached for a small skillet and cracked a few eggs into the surface of the cookware. As the yolks and whites cooked, you loaded two pieces of bread into the toaster, and set aside another two pieces to be toasted once the first two were finished. You were about to press the switch down before you had a thought: did Shirou like his toast extra crispy, or softer?

You briefly walked to your bathroom, only to find the door closed. For a moment, you contemplated knocking on the door and asking him, though upon thinking further, you didn’t want to bother Shirou over the texture of some toast. With a small hum, you returned to your kitchen, applied medium settings to the toaster, pushed the switch down, and proceeded to stir and scramble the eggs on the stove. From your bathroom, you could hear the sink water run, combined with the scratching of a toothbrush against teeth. It was strange, admittedly, to be with Shirou in such a domestic setting, yet it felt oddly natural. You smiled, and a small feeling of adoration bloomed in your chest.

The wolf emerged from your bathroom a few minutes later as the eggs finished cooking and the last of the toast popped from the toaster. Once the food was ready, you both piled food onto your plates and sat at your table. Similar to last night, everything was silent as you ate (save for those damn birds again), until you piped up with a question.

"Shirou, how are you feeling after last night?" you asked, having finished half of your eggs and one of your slices of toast. After everything that happened, you hoped he wasn’t too uncomfortable after he came to his senses. The wolf fell silent for a few moments, contemplating a response.

"I know why you’re asking, but keep in mind that the way I see humans has nothing to do with you yourself."

You frowned, propping your elbow on the table and laying the side of your head against your fist.

"In a way, how you feel has _everything_ to do with me because being human is part of who I am. That’ll never change, Shirou."

The wolf leaned on your table, putting his weight on his arms as he crossed them.

“I’m aware.” His green eyes bore into yours now. “However, I don't regret _kissing_ you. It felt far more natural than how I was with the aphrodisiac in my system.”

You were somehow disappointed and relieved at the same time. Regardless, you continued on, straightening your back as you sat up.

"Would you mind explaining your conflict? I want to see where you’re coming from."

He matched your posture, sitting straight as well, before elaborating.

"From a human perspective, imagine being wronged by beastmen your entire life. Then, you meet a certain individual beastman and gradually develop feelings for them. You care for this one beastman, but you still can't ignore what their species has done to you and your people." At the end, Shirou’s tone was laced with a hint of venom, and his fur bristled outwards, as if he were recalling some of his negative experiences.

"That…makes a bit of sense, actually," you reassured him, taking a moment to crunch on one of the corners of your toast. "I realize what you’re feeling is complicated, but remember that I’m not humanity itself. You know me as someone who sees beastmen as my equals, and I don’t let the fact that you’re a beastman get in the way of this relationship. I also don’t expect you to trust other humans, but…I want you to trust _me.”_

"If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have come to your apartment."

"Right. So instead of feeling conflicted because of my species, just focus on _who_ I am instead of _what_ I am.”

Shirou silently nodded, biting into his toast, and you took the time to think about his behavior. Honestly, you couldn't put a finger on how his mindset made you feel. On one hand, despite Shirou showing affection towards you, you couldn’t help but feel an automatic wave of disappointment caused by the fact he struggled to cope with your human nature. On the other hand, the fact he kissed you on his own accord, without hesitation and ignoring his bias, spoke _volumes._ In a way, you felt a pang of guilt stab your heart, since you knew you wouldn’t be able to fully understand his frame of mind.

"At the festival, you mentioned that beastmen used to frighten you,” he cut into your thoughts, having finished his meal now. All that remained of his food were bread crumbs and a few tiny bits of egg scattered on the plate. “It’s clear that you had biases of your own, yet you still decided to move to Anima City and surround yourself with the people you feared."

You slowly nodded and your stomach tightened a little from surfacing regret. The birds outdoors finally stopped chirping, as if they wanted to give the two of you some time alone.

“What changed your mind?"

"I still wanted to give beastmen the benefit of the doubt,” you answered. “Even though I felt scared watching the ones that rampaged on the news three years ago, I figured most beastmen weren’t like that. After all, the media really only shows the negative side of beastmen.”

You saw him stiffen at the mention of the event, and you paused in case he said anything. He did not, so you continued.

“At the time, I still felt uneasy moving here, to be honest. But, when I met Mrs. Melissa and Mr. Gem, I was comforted by how gentle and jovial they both were. Then a few days after, I came across Inari, who helped me settle into Anima City. Instead of letting stereotypes hold me back, I decided to embrace the positivity of the beastmen I _did_ know."

A small smile formed on your face as gears began to click and grind together in your head.

“Upon saying it aloud, our situations sound similar, but just with different levels of intensity. I don’t understand where you’re coming from entirely, but your stance makes more sense now.” Your smile grew bigger, and you hovered your one of your hands over his, gesturing your head in your hand’s direction.

“May I?”

Shirou nodded again, and with his consent, you laid your hand on top of his and gave a comforting squeeze. The blue fur on his hand felt warm and fluffy like the rest of his body. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, before turning his white-colored palm upwards to cup your own. The wolf gave a brief glance to your hand on his, inquisitively, before trailing his eyes back to you again.

“I’ll support you no matter how long it takes. Understand?” you asked him, smile unwavering. However, not wanting to push your luck by lingering more than you should, you drew your hand away from his. After watching your hand leave, Shirou nodded in agreement as his eyes settled on your face again.

“Of course.”

~~~§~~~

You trudged home during your daily commute, and your steps were slow and sluggish in comparison to Shirou’s much smoother strides. Eventually, he took a more leisurely pace, steadily walking beside you so that you weren’t left behind. On the horizon, the evening sun radiated hot reds, oranges, and yellows in the sky, and some of the puffy clouds were saturated with the energetic hues. Golden rays reflected across the windows of various buildings, making them shimmer as you walked by. You released a hefty sigh—typically, you would appreciate a sunset like this, but at the moment, you just wanted to get home. To make matters worse, Inari used one of his vacation days today, so the only person you were able to vent to was Ichiro. However, halfway through the work day, the jaguar had to leave as well, leaving you to stew over aggravating clients on your lonesome.

Thank God tomorrow is Friday.

After you and Shirou exchanged goodbyes, you lumbered up the stairway to your floor, mind-numbingly counting how many steps it would take for your aching body to reach your apartment.

_…fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three—_

“Hey, neighbor!” Naori excitedly shouted, waving at you from her doorway. Today, her hair was in two braids that rested on her shoulders. Three lilac purple clips rested behind her bangs, though they appeared to be only for cosmetic purposes since no hair was held back with them. “I made food if you wanna eat with me. Breakfast for dinner, or as you can say in English, ‘brinner’!”

You shot her a tired smile as you were about to decline, but your stomach had other ideas; it growled lowly yet loudly, whining as if you’d never eaten in your entire life.

“I…guess I can stick around. Not for too long, though. Work wore me out today.”

“Yeah, I understand,” came a nasally masculine voice from within Naori’s apartment. You glanced above Naori’s shoulder to see a bundle of red-brown fur, connected to a tall, slender frame and ending with the face of a maned wolf. He sat on her couch, and his tail lazily swished next to him.

 _“Inari?”_ you asked, admittedly flabbergasted by his presence here. He playfully winked and waved; from the doorway, you could see that his nails were polished a highlighter green hue, and you _immediately_ knew it was a color from Naori’s collection.

“The one and only.”

You blinked, and surprisingly, you could feel some of the work-induced fatigue dissipate as you talked to your friend.

“Why are you here?”

“To hang with Naori, obviously.”

“…So, you took a vacation day to come _here?”_

Inari shrugged, and his chocolate-colored neck fur bunched around his shoulders as they moved. “I just need a break from bullcrap, really. Besides, we have vacation days for a reason. You look like you could use one yourself.”

“Maybe,” you responded. “There’s a lot of important work to be done, though, and I don’t want to stall anything.”

The maned wolf shrugged again, this time silent. You turned to Naori and shifted your work bag on your shoulders. You promised you would return in just a few minutes, since you just wanted to unpack your bag for the evening; once that was finished, you headed back to Naori’s apartment and browsed the foods she made for din— _brinner._ The blonde cooked an array of pancakes, scrambled and hard-boiled eggs, some linked sausage, and French toast.

“This is a lot of food, Naori,” you commented as she handed you a plate. She smiled brightly and gestured you both into her kitchen.

“And you two are gonna help me eat it. I accidentally made too much, so some of this is definitely going into the fridge as leftovers. You and Fox Boy can take some home as well, if you want.”

You snickered at the nickname, and Inari rolled his eyes, remarking that Naori’s name for him wasn’t unique, considering how many others thought he was a fox or a wolf. Trying to ignore both Inari and Naori’s argument over her pet name for him (with Naori eventually shouting, “What am I supposed to call you? ‘Maned boy’? That sounds stupid!”), you piled some of the brinner food onto your plate and sat at Naori’s table. As their debate died down, they both joined you with plates of their own, and you all began to eat.

“You sounded like you had fun last night. Tell me about it, or else,” Naori pried, accusingly pointing her fork at you after she shoved a pancake piece into her mouth. A little bit of syrup dripped from it, and you were thankful she held it over her plate instead of yours or Inari’s plates, or even her own brand new table. Inari looked between you both in confusion, having no context for Naori’s sudden threat.

“‘Or else’, what?” you challenged, taking a bite of your own pancake as your fork clicked against your teeth. The piece was light and fluffy, and just the right consistency for your liking. Thankfully, the syrup Naori provided wasn’t too sweet; otherwise, you were certain your tongue and teeth would die from all the sugar content.

“Or else, I’ll…” she pursed her lips, tapping a nailed finger to her chin. Her taste in acrylic _talons_ changed, and she increased them to be an inch and a half in length now. You never understood how she was still able to perform daily tasks with _claws_ that long. “I’ll never cook for you again. And I _mean_ it.”

“Not a harsh enough punishment, so I refuse,” you stated, crossing your arms. Naori pouted, placing her fork on her plate and biting off half of a hard-boiled egg. As she chewed, she pointed the other half in your direction.

“Yoo wirr liahlly hweaming hih nayn lash niht.”

“Don’t talk with food in your mouth, Naori.”

She glared at you like a young child glowering at their parent over something trivial, before swallowing the rest of the egg.

“You were literally screaming his name last night. ‘Shirou’ this, ‘Shirou’ that!” the blonde then took a deep breath, screaming and laughing at the top of her lungs as she attempted to replicate your voice. “Shirou, Shirou, Shiroooooooou!”

Your face flushed, and you glared at your intrusive neighbor.

“Naori…!”

“Hold on, you and Shirou did _what?”_ Inari questioned with a shocked expression, getting up from his chair and driving his head all too close into your personal space. You grimaced somewhat, pressing your back as far into the chair as it would go, and Naori piped up, twirling her fork in her fingers.

“Too late to take that back, I guess,” she mused, throwing a smirk in your direction as Inari turned to face her, though he was still hunched over your sitting form. “Those two screwed last night. I didn't recognize him since he was in human form, but I did some research while they were busy fornicating away. That was Ogami Shirou, alright.” Naori finished her explanation, shoving another small pancake slice into her mouth.

Everyone fell quiet for a few moments, before Inari ran a hand through his head fur, processing Naori’s words.

“Wait, wait, wait. You _fucked_ Shirou!? How did you manage to do that!? I mean—he—his libido was practically _nonexistent,_ I thought.”

“Getting laid wasn’t on purpose, trust me. Regardless, you both have to promise me one thing: don't. Tell. _Anyone._ I'm not looking for attention, and neither is Shirou," you hissed at the two of them, crossing your arms. Inari let out a curt "yeah yeah, I remember..." while Naori playfully stuck her tongue out at you.

 _“Please,_ even if I wanted to, no one would believe me if I told them Shirou was sexually-involved with a human. But…”

A large grin crossed her glossy lips.

“I promise that, as long as I live, I won’t tell a soul.”

You thanked her, and you all returned to eating. Hopefully, from here, the conversation would die down, and everyone could move on from the subject. But, deep down, you knew you were mistaken for even wishing for peace and quiet in the first place around these two.

“…So did he bang you as a wolf, or just in his human form?” Naori not-so-innocently asked with a sweet tone. Her voice sounded as if someone ordered a cake and topped it with icing, sprinkles, cookies, colored sugar, _regular_ sugar, and an entire assortment of candies. Any sweeter, and you were certain her tone of voice would give you a cavity.

“Naori, just eat,” you replied as nonchalantly as you could manage. Inari decided to cut in, only serving to egg Naori on.

“You know, Naori, some male beastmen have different genitalia when transformed. Some reptiles and sharks have two dicks, and we canines have knot—”

“You too, Fuzake Inari,” you interrupted, scolding the maned wolf.

“Whyyyyy? I was just informing Naori on this stuff. Sex education is very important, you know,” he retorted, and a toothy shit-eating sneer wormed its way across his muzzle. His sharp teeth gleamed in the light of Naori’s apartment, and you were somewhat reminded of the tooth shine effect showcased in dental hygiene commercials.

Without a proper comeback, you rolled your eyes, instead focusing on finishing your meal. Suddenly, a phone jingle sounded through the air, and Naori excused herself, fishing for her phone in her pocket. Her green eyes lit up as she read the name of her caller.

“Oh, it’s Taka and Skyla!”

She promptly answered, and held the phone about a foot away from her face as she waved into her camera. After Naori greeted her friends, you turned to Inari.

“If I can ask, what made you take off work?”

The maned wolf’s expression immediately soured as his brown eyebrows furrowed together, and his lips formed a hard frown. Inari looked to Naori, ensuring that she was absorbed in her conversation, before sighing and propping himself on his elbows as he leaned closer to you. He answered you in a hushed voice.

“My case is about this human man who unofficially adopted an axolotl girl when she was a baby. Ito Sanshou’s her name. She’s a toddler now, but someone in Human Child Protective Services found out about her recently. She was taken away, since human-beastman adoption isn’t legal here in Japan.”

Inari’s expression went from one of frustration to one of sadness and anguish, and the maned wolf suddenly appeared ten times older from the stress that accumulated from his work.

“Her father is my client, and he wants to get her back so they can both move to Anima City. Unfortunately, the other humans involved aren’t so compliant, and it’s clear they’re hell-bent on making sure she’s not reunited with her dad. I mean, some human kids are already fucked over in the adoption and foster care systems, so I can’t imagine how it’ll be for a _beastman_ child.”

He released a shaky sigh, once again running a brown-furred hand through his head fur.

“It’s shit for the girl, it’s shit for the dad, and it’s shit for us because we’re the wrong department for this sort of thing. But…we’re the closest thing this city has to settling this type of conflict, so we have to keep pushing. Part of the reason I’m here at Naori’s place is so I can go back to work with less of a temper—working with these people is like walking on a thin sheet of glass. One wrong step, and you shatter the floor and fall down.”

“I just… _Jesus,_ Inari,” you breathed, offering him a look of worry and sympathy. “Does the Director have a plan yet?”

“At the moment, the plan is for Director Shika to adopt her, actually. If everything goes without a hitch, he’ll place her back under the care of her dad. She lives with the Director for a bit, and then her dad can move to Anima City once he knows she’s safe here. Of course, this whole situation could cause some legal problems later down the line, but considering the circumstances, it’s the best solution we have right now.”

Your gloomy conversation was interrupted by the excited squealing of Naori, who hurried towards you both.

“Takkun, Sky-la-la, these are my neighbor and my friend Inari!” she chirped, facing the phone camera towards you both as she proudly showed you two off. Inari shot them a wide smile, stretching the corners of his lips a little _too_ much for it to be real, and you gave a small wave beside him, faking a smaller smile of your own. On the screen were the black cat from the festival and his falcon friend, and they both sat on a worn couch together. The latter of which dwarfed her feline friend, as he only came up to the bottom of her ribcage; heck, perhaps she was around Inari’s height. To accommodate her friend’s smaller stature, the gargantuan falcon had to lower the phone to make sure he could be within the frame of their phone camera. Skyla was toned with muscle, and she wore a pair of tight black sweatpants, with a tight black tank top to match. Her eyes, a piercing red, slid over to you, studying you like an inquisitive biologist looking at bacteria under a microscope. She briefly hummed under her throat, continuing to inspect you.

A feeling of uncomfortable unease shot through your body, speeding up your heart rate a bit as Skyla’s motionless face and body leered straight into your soul. Falcon lady, just blink, or cough, or do _something!_

Skyla narrowed her eyes (finally, some movement!), before clapping her hands together.

“I recognize your neighbor! First human to work under the mayor, right? I actually watch the news, unlike Gatito here.”

Taka grumbled vulgar curses under his breath. You released a sigh of relief as silently as you could, thankful that the tense moment was over.

“Mind showing us around your apartment?” the falcon asked, completely glossing over any further introductions as she appeared disinterested in you and Inari. Her voice was fairly low-pitched for a female; not deep enough to sound like Shirou or Director Shika, but definitely deeper than the likes of Inari and Naori. “That can probably make up for the fact that we can’t come over this month.”

…They were supposed to come over? You glanced at a calendar Naori hung next to her door—ah, right, it’s September. You remember that Naori mentioned Taka and Skyla were supposed to arrive at the blonde’s apartment at some point around this time.

“It’s fine. There’s always next time, right?” Naori reassured the falcon woman, waving a hand as she dismissed the topic. “I’ll show you around for a few minutes.” She glanced at you and Inari and mouthed a ‘sorry it’s taking so long’, before beginning her tour. Once the blonde headed towards her kitchen, you propped your head on your fist and looked at Inari.

“That falcon made me feel a bit uncomfortable, though I suppose it’s good that Naori is making more friends. But with that, I’m gonna leave,” you stated, standing from your seat and looking at Inari. “Do you plan on staying the rest of the night?”

Inari smirked, inspecting his long, painted claws. “Kinda. Naori and I wanted to have fun later tonight, if you know what I mean.”

“Inari, tomorrow is a work day,” you deadpanned. “You don’t need to stay up all night just to get laid.”

“And? You did the same with Shirou.”

“Unintentionally.”

_“And?”_

You crossed your arms, raising a brow at your canine friend.

“…Is this Naori’s way of getting revenge for last night?”

“Actually, no,” Inari responded, a bit surprised by your question. “The desire to blow off steam was impromptu, since she wants to help me not think about work for a while. We talked about it before you got here. We’ll try not to make too much noise, though.”

“…I’ll see what I can do about the potential noise level. Have fun, I suppose.”

“Will doooooo,” the maned wolf drawled, before you both exchanged goodbyes. Naori was in her living room now, and you waved at the blonde; she returned an excited wave of her own, before turning back to her video call.

Once you returned to your room, you unceremoniously plopped onto your bed and glanced at your window. Street lights were beginning to come on, though thankfully, the sky itself wasn’t _too_ dark. Perhaps you could travel to B Co-Op, though considering how awfully Shirou seemed to sleep last night, you wondered if he would even be awake at the moment. But, wanting to take the gamble, you brought out your phone and promptly texted him.

_Can I spend the night at B Co-Op? I’ll pay for a taxi._

Your phone buzzed about a minute later, and you blinked in surprise. That was fast.

_Why?_

You cast a glance towards the wall that separated yours and Naori’s apartment.

_…Naori and Inari have “plans” for tonight, and my apartment’s walls are paper thin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...In case anyone's wondering, yes, the reader brushes their teeth, too. Since Shirou took up the bathroom, might as well have just done teeth brushing after breakfast. =U=
> 
> I also realized that not only do Naori and Inari have the same eye color, but their names are only one letter apart. Swap around the letters in Naori, replace the o with an i, and bam, you have "Inari". Vice versa with his name, instead replacing i with o.


	7. A Promise to Protect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I just wanna thank y'all for being so patient with me here. It's been hectic, with school transitioning online and keeping up with my classes, to being a teaching assistant, to working with a client, to my school screwing with my financial aid, it's...been a huge mess.
> 
> Second, I've written this chapter over again four times. FOUR. TIMES. ಥ‿ಥ Between all the stuff going on with school and not being satisfied with this chapter, I've just been drained. So, so drained.
> 
> But alas, I was finally OK with the direction and flow the fifth time I wrote it, and it is now here for you all to read.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Between the thick humidity from outdoors seeping through the cracked taxi window and the silence between you and the driver, the ride to B Co-Op up to this point was stifling. After you initially stated your destination, the driver—an aged toucan man—trilled lowly, noting it was awfully late in the evening to take a trip there, but quickly countered himself with, "Though I suppose someone important like you has to keep doing business". Otherwise, he didn’t comment on it. After that, the ride was quiet, save for the occasional tapping of your index finger on top of the bag that held your clothing and necessities.

The taxi itself smelled a little of stale leather, but you personally didn't mind. The scent wasn't overpowering, thankfully. What _did_ bother you somewhat though was the humidity; it clung to your skin like gum to a shoe, and dampened your body no matter how much you tried to wipe it off. Even your breaths felt warm and heavy thanks to the muggy air, and to your dismay, you weren't even halfway there to B Co-Op. Unluckily for you, this meant you had to sit even _longer_ inside the humid cab. And it was all thanks to a heavy load of traffic that turned a ten-minute drive into a twenty-minute drive.

You cringed as you heard the vehicle's pay meter tick up again.

In all honesty, a small part of you regretted paying for a taxi instead of commuting to B Co-Op on a bike; you wouldn't have had to deal with heavy traffic, nor the expensive cost of riding in the cab. Then again, you supposed, considering the fact nighttime was ready to settle, a taxi was the safer option. You didn’t want to risk the possibility of being robbed or kidnapped or being approached by street dealers or unofficial sex workers. Even though you were human, it didn't matter. Beastman or human, a customer was a customer, after all. Although Mayor Rose significantly combated these matters and improved the lives of beastmen here, Anima City would never fully be a utopia. Nowhere on Earth was.

You then sighed audibly, resting your hand on your chin, and you watched a series of tall apartment buildings slowly enter and leave your vision as the taxi inched through traffic. Bright lights of all colors seeped through the windows, illuminating the cityscape like twinkling stars in the night sky. In spite of your discomfort, you couldn't help but smile at the sight.

You were briefly distracted from your thoughts as your driver turned on the taxi's radio with a _click,_ and a series of pop songs began to play. You managed to tune them out, before hearing a certain melody that stood out to you. Despite the low volume of the radio, you recognized the song almost immediately:

_O-shi-e-te_

_Yoru ni haseru kono yurameki to_

_Omoinomama ni tobimawatte_

_Motto jiyū ni kakete ikou yo_

_Hoshi o miagete sa…_

Your driver hummed lowly in unison with the song, before glancing at you through the rearview mirror. Crow's feet decorated his old brown eyes, and the wrinkles at the edges of his cheeks deepened as he smiled.

"My granddaughter loves this song, you know. Especially when that Nazuna girl sings it. A good role model, that one."

"It's a catchy song," you said and returned a smile of your own. "If I can ask, how old is your granddaughter?"

"Nine, going on ten in October. Was born on Halloween, actually."

"Ohh, spooky," you replied with a small laugh.

"Indeed. Gets to dress in a costume and receive presents on the same day. This year, she wants to dress up as Nazuna and send some fan mail to her."

The man sighed, expression turning into a mixture of wistfulness and sadness.

“She's growing up fast, she is. I'm so thankful that my grandbaby can grow up happy, especially in a place like Anima City. Which reminds me…”

The toucan man began to drive a tad faster as traffic lightened up. His eyes focused on the road ahead instead of you now, but his attention still very much had you front and center.

“I know you might forget my face, but I wanted to thank you for the work you’re doing here. Means a lot that you’re helping to bridge the gap between our kind and yours.”

Your heart swelled with pride and joy upon hearing his appreciation.

“It’s honestly really inspiring to hear you say that. Thank you,” you stated as your smile grew twice as wide as before.

You and your driver conversed for the rest of the ride, and eventually, the familiar silhouette of B Co-Op came into view. You quickly slung your bag over your shoulders and sat up with anticipation. Although your conversation with the toucan grandfather was nice, you were _finally_ ready to leave the humid vehicle. The taxi drove up to the building, and as it slowed to a halt, you heard the sound of the tires gently rolling onto the street's asphalt. You fished for your wallet and paid your fare, wishing him a good night and requesting he tell his granddaughter a happy early birthday on your behalf. He agreed with a nod, before turning to you as you opened the door to leave.

"I'm not going to pull off until I see you safely get in the building," he reassured you. "If some suspicious character comes after you, make sure to hop back in."

You nodded and climbed the steps up to the building, where you were met with a “CLOSED” sign written in bold black characters. Ignoring the sign, you loudly knocked on the front door. The sign gently shook from the vibrations caused by your fist, as if complaining about the force of your knocks. "It's open," came a deep voice from inside; with a smile growing on your face, you instantly recognized it as Shirou. Then, you reached for the scratched brass door handle, but the door swung open before you could grip the handle. You glanced up, expecting the wolf man, but to your surprise, it was _Michiru_ who opened the door. She flashed you a toothy grin, standing tall and upright, and her tail wagged behind her as she saw you.

“Hey, long time no see! Me and Shirou expected you,” she peppily stated, grasping your hand and leading you into the building. Almost immediately, you felt your physical discomfort begin to fade away as the air-conditioning settled onto your warm skin, cooling it nicely and relieving you of the humid air outside. Right before Michiru took you indoors, you managed to wave to your driver before you headed into B Co-Op; you heard him drive off once you were fully in the building, and you closed the door behind you. The quaint interior had barely changed since you were first here a few years ago, from the golden-tan walls to the dark brown tiled ceiling, to the ornate orange wood lining the doors and glass panes of the windows. Even that eyesore of a dark green couch was still there in front of the petite tan coffee table; in fact, Melissa and Gem even managed to afford _another_ one to sit on the opposite side of the table. The ugly couch now had a mate— _fun._ Shirou happened to be sitting in the center of the second couch, and you politely waved to him. He quietly nodded in return.

"By the way, since you're apparently sleeping over, I can pull out the extra futon in my room. Nazuna usually sleeps on it when she comes over, but since you’re a guest here, you can use it," Michiru commented, letting your hand go as she sat on the first ugly couch. You were about to decline and mention the possibility of sleeping with Shirou, but you caught yourself at the last minute.

“Thanks, Michiru," you said, shrugging off your bag and setting it on top of the floor and next to the couch. From the corner of your eye, you noticed Shirou freeze in his spot as he watched you sit near Michiru on the firm cushions, and with a frown, he suddenly gave a scrutinizing glance at your neck. Odd…

“You're here because of what happened in the human district, right?” the tanuki girl replied, crossing one of her legs over the other and resting both of her arms on the back of the couch. You physically reeled back in response, turning your entire torso towards the girl.

“I’m sorry?” you sputtered.

“When I escorted you to the mayor’s building, you mentioned I didn’t sleep well," Shirou cut in, crossing his arms and shifting his eyes from your neck to your face. “I was awake all night patrolling the human district. I tracked a suspicious character there, but they flew away at some point.”

…Huh? The first part occurred when he was in your apartment, and the rest never happened. Instead of being on patrol last night, he was sleeping with—oh. _Ooooh._

You understood now.

“Were you able to track a scent?” you questioned, playing along with his semi-false story. The wolf calmly shook his head; despite the fact you had to pretend to be worried about the grim-sounding situation, you found it cute how his ears flopped somewhat from the movement.

“I can’t easily track something that flies.”

“And you didn’t tell me earlier today because…?”

“As Michiru mentioned, this is best discussed in private. The perpetrator might have accomplices everywhere. I’ll notify the police about the situation soon.”

“Right…” you replied with feigned concern, leaning forward and propping your head on both of your fists and balancing your elbows on your knees. Beside you, the tanuki girl beamed a smile in your direction as she rested a hand on your shoulder.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise!” she chimed.

You were about to reply when suddenly, Michiru raised her head and furrowed her brows, beginning to sniff the air; first in her general direction, before aiming her nose towards you. She sniffed your clothes and your arms, and you could feel each puff of air on your skin as she exhaled.

“What are you doing?” you asked warily, slightly backing away from tanuki. She looked up at you, narrowing her eyes as her blue eyebrows furrowed with skepticism.

“It just hit me that you smell weird,” she deadpanned, almost accusingly so. Suddenly, she approached your neck to take in a deep whiff. You could feel her fluffy blue hair tickle the bottom of your chin, and you froze from the sudden close contact. Shirou promptly stood from the second ugly green couch, making his way over and immediately cutting in to deter her invasive behavior.

 _"Michiru,"_ the wolf scolded, grabbing the back of her shirt and roughly pulling her away from you, causing her to whine in protest. However, his efforts were in vain, because the girl's eyes widened and her fur sharply stood on end. Michiru shot up (or as much as she could, while still in Shirou's steel grip) and jabbed a clawed finger in your direction.

“You smell like—!” her head turned from you to Shirou, then back to you. The tanuki girl fell silent as she absorbed the revelation, jaw hanging open somewhat. You instinctively slapped a hand on your neck, returning an equally-shocked expression as you came to a realization.

Was _this_ what Shirou was worried about?

After the short silence that persisted between you three, the wolf grumbled under his breath and released Michiru from his grasp. Shirou returned to the opposing couch, and the cushion sank a little under his weight as he folded his arms and shot a glare at the tanuki. She huffed under her breath, also crossing her arms over her chest as she sent a glare of her own back to the older beastman. Michiru looked like a hard-headed child challenging her equally-stubborn father.

“Mind telling me how this even happened?” Michiru half-asked, half-interrogated.

Although a bit hesitant, you recounted the events of your ongoing relationship with Shirou—the ramen shop, the festival, and what happened regarding last night (minus the sexual details, of course) being the most notable events so far. During your explanation, you also couldn't help but occasionally rub your neck. Michiru didn't seem to care though, because after hearing the information, the tanuki took a triumphant stance, puffing out her chest and resting her fists on her hips. After she stood from the couch, her tail excitedly swung behind her, swishing small puffs of air onto your skin with each wag.

“Look at you, dating a _human_ of all things, Shirou!” she excitedly exclaimed, before shooting him another annoyed glare. "I just wish you told me earlier."

“It wasn't any of your business. We also don't want to attract attention," Shirou grunted in response to the tanuki's comments and demeanor, before sliding his pale green eyes towards you. "Though I suppose this gives me a chance to explain what actually happened."

“Wait, wait, something _did_ happen?” you asked, stuttering slightly as your eyes widened somewhat. Your brows furrowed and your mouth tightened into a frown. To your dismay, the wolf nodded in response, causing Michiru's eyes to widen as well.

“Something flew outside of your apartment. It was far too big to be a normal animal, so it was clearly a beastman. I kept watch for the rest of the night.”

You felt blood begin to leave your face, and the hairs on your body stood while visible goosebumps rose from your skin. Your hands felt warm and clammy, while the rest of your body was cold like ice. A slight shiver ran down your spine, as if a ghostly hand brushed faint traces across your back.

"What if they were just passing through?" Michiru piped up, ears perking with interest at this new source information. You could hear the hopeful reassurance in her voice, though it did little to sate you. Shirou's left ear flicked in response as he looked at her.

"They were flying far too low and too close to the apartment to just be passing through. I also find it hard to believe any beastman would come to a human district without being invited or having ulterior motives."

“I…holy crap…” you murmured, lips dry and throat suddenly feeling parched even as you gulped. You quickly turned your head towards the wolf, who held a subtle frown of his own. “Shirou, why didn’t you say anything to me before?”

“This would be better discussed in private rather than through a text or call.”

“No, no, I mean—” you let out a frustrated sigh, tightly pinching the skin between your brows. “When you were having breakfast with me. We were alone at the time.”

The wolf scoffed, narrowing his eyes at you.

“Would you have preferred to go to work feeling upset and worried?”

You irritably exhaled and said nothing, silently conceding to his counter-argument.

"Besides,” he said with a twinge of annoyance in his voice. “Discussing it now allows us to talk more and make a plan of action. First, from now on I want you to tell me when and where you’re going every time you head somewhere.”

You shot him a look of skepticism and disbelief.

“All due respect, Shirou, that makes you sound like a stalker," you quickly replied. Like _hell_ was he gonna keep tabs on you like you were some kind of child—

“I agree with you, but I also think this is necessary,” Michiru cut in, and you turned your head to her. The tanuki girl sat back down next to you, blue brows furrowed as a serious expression morphed across her features. “You’re a pretty important human figure in Anima City. You could be a target for anyone.”

Shirou hummed in agreement, before continuing to speak.

“Second, I want you to give me names and physical descriptions of anyone you meet with or talk to. This includes your friends and coworkers, humans and beastmen alike.”

You shot another glare at Shirou as you whipped your head around to face him. Suddenly feeling a surge of angry adrenaline course through your veins, you sharply stood up and stormed towards the wolf. Your thinking suddenly became tunneled and livid, and all that was on your mind was how this wolf was on thin fucking ice. Now directly in front of Shirou, your face tightened into a scowl as you growled at him.

“How _dare_ you think Inari and Naori and the others would want to—”

“This is for your _safety,”_ the wolf snarled and stood, baring his fangs and flattening his ears against his head. His fur quickly raised as he met your attitude with his own display of dominance. Your eyes narrowed, but you refused to back down. The air was tense between you both, and neither of you were intimidated by the other. After a few more moments of silence, Shirou continued to talk, tone gruff and stern.

“With something as dangerous as The Pack running around, I can’t afford to let anything slip by.”

You immediately scoffed and turned away, heading towards the flight of steps that traveled up through the building. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Shirou begin to follow you, but he stopped as soon as you shot him an irate glare.

 _"Don’t._ I need some time to think," you sternly told him, not giving the wolf a chance to speak as you impatiently continued to climb up the stairs that led to the roof. Once you arrived, you sat on a bench beside the basketball court and tightly gripped your head in your hands. Your palms felt clammy on your warm cheeks and the tips of your ears burned with anger. Your head buzzed and you felt a tad dizzy as the adrenaline began to lessen in your system. The humid air around you made you feel even hotter than you already did, but currently, you could care less. As you took a few moments to actually process Shirou's words, a conflicting loop of thoughts battled in your mind: on one hand, having to suspect your friends and colleagues of being potential terrorists was absolute _bullshit._ On the other, you knew Shirou was right to suspect everyone you interacted with. But of course, despite the wolf’s good intentions, that meant no one you knew was in the clear, leading you to still feel irritated because of his suggestions.

Fuck, it was exhausting to think about, especially once you realized how embarrassing your behavior was. You supposed you could apologize, but would Shirou even take you seriously after this?

You removed your hands from your face and stared at them. They gently trembled; in addition, your skin was starting to feel a bit cold in spite of the humid air, and your breathing was a bit shaky. You closed your eyes and slowly inhaled and exhaled, wanting to collect yourself. You focused on taking in what was around you, beginning with how sticky the humid evening air felt, the sound of slow-moving car tires driving against asphalt, and the occasional honk or two of impatient drivers. You focused on the faint laughter of patrons from a newly-built American-based restaurant near B Co-Op, and how you were able to smell the delicious food even from where you sat. One scent in particular was fairly meaty. Steak, perhaps?

Naori would probably like to eat there one day.

On the rooftop itself, you focused on the whirring of the building’s HVAC compressor, focused on the clinking of a small bundle of wooden Ginrou windchimes as they moved together in brief gust of wind, focused on the footsteps behind you—

Your eyes snapped open and Shirou’s words hit you with full force as you suddenly realized that, in your angry stupor, you put yourself into a vulnerable position: on your own, on an open rooftop, in the middle of the night. Your blood ran cold with fear and you started to violently shake again, but despite the alarm bells blaring in your head, you dared not to move an inch.

"I've…never seen you get upset like that before," you heard a few moments later, and you deeply breathed a silent, shaky sigh as you recognized it as Michiru. “I know you said not to follow you, but I was worried.”

Relief flooded your mind, though the aftermath of your brief scare still remained. Your hands shook a little more violently this time around and your skin was damp with cold sweat. However, not wanting the tanuki to notice, you straightened your posture and tightly clenched your fists to force yourself to stop shaking. Your nails somewhat dug into your skin, you gained a headache, and your muscles burned from the sudden stress and anxiety, but you didn’t care.

Stay professional.

"I…I overreacted," you stammered, before quietly clearing your throat to try and stabilize your voice.

“You did,” Michiru agreed, taking a spot next to you. You instinctively clutched your fists more tightly, continuing to tense yourself up to stop any shaking. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice, though you knew the tanuki girl wasn’t exactly the most perceptive person to exist. Still, you couldn’t afford to let your guard down. You couldn’t afford to let her see weakness.

“Look, I know being told what to do isn’t great; I myself wasn’t the biggest fan of Shirou and the other adults doing that when I was younger. But even though I didn’t listen, they had my best interest in mind, most of the time.”

“…’Most’ of the time?”

“Sometimes, Shirou just wanted to get rid of me, but I stayed by his side anyway,” Michiru said with a small laugh. “I _really_ didn’t listen to him when we first met. But I digress…”

The tanuki girl leaned over and rested her elbows on her legs, tilting her head towards you.

“Go talk to him already.”

Your fingers were beginning to ache, but you ignored the discomfort.

"Michiru, did you see his behavior? Ears flattened, fangs bared, fur puffed out, and whatnot. He might not want to talk to me right now."

In the darkness, you could make out Michiru wrinkling her nose and giving you an unamused expression.

“That’s a cop-out answer if I’ve heard one, because you and I _both_ know it’d take more than an outburst to make him not wanna speak to you. Shirou’s seen a lot of tragedy in his life, so he’s dealt with quite a bit. And even though he's also been alone for a long while and is pretty closed-off most of the time, the fact that he trusts you—a _human—_ the way he does is a pretty big step for him. The fact he's going to these lengths for your sake is something to keep in mind, too. Considering everything I just said, he’s not gonna get upset over what you did.”

Michiru’s cheeks then puffed out in a small pout, before she continued speaking.

"Nazuna says I’m dense, but even _I_ know you mean something to Shirou. So you’re either purposely avoiding a talk with him, or you’re somehow more oblivious than I am."

"It's just…this entire situation was all a lot to take in, so I…snapped,” you admitted, staring at the concrete below your feet. “I’m not proud of what happened.”

“Well, nothing’s gonna get better if you keep sitting here. Like I said, talk to him.”

Michiru stood and walked towards the basketball court, and as you watched her, you could feel your nerves begin to calm down, so you lessened the stress on your fingers. They felt tingly and numb, but you at least felt a small bit of blood rushing back to them now. The buzzing in your head also quieted, and the pain in your muscles dulled to a throb. Michiru then turned on a series lights near the basketball goal (the roof had lights the whole time!?) and retrieved a ball from a nearby rack. She placed the ball underneath her left arm and balanced her weight onto one hip.

"If you need me, I'll stay out here for a bit and shoot some hoops."

“…’Shoot some hoops'?” you questioned, raising a brow. “I've never heard that.”

Michiru beamed a goofy smile in your direction. “It means I'm just going to practice some shots. It's a bit of English slang Jackie showed me from a lingo book she purchased! Sounds neat, right?”

You flashed the tanuki a smile of your own—a _genuine_ one, this time—and a warm calmness flowed through your body.

“It’s certainly interesting. While we’re on the subject of lingo, have you ever heard of the term ‘brinner’?”

The tanuki readjusted the ball for a moment, before shaking her head.

“No. What’s it mean?”

“It means you’re eating breakfast for dinner.”

Michiru's face lit up with a childlike joy as her tail wagged behind her a little bit.

“That’s so _weird,_ but so cool! Does that mean there's also a ‘brunch': breakfast for lunch? Maybe even ‘dreakfast’: dinner for breakfast?” she asked excitedly. You chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm.

“I’ll have to ask my neighbor about that. She’s a native English speaker from the United States.”

Michiru’s smile somehow stretched even wider than previously, and her tail swept back and forth even more. “Well, if she can teach some fun slang, I’d like to meet her someday! Jackie would, too!”

“I’ll let her know,” you mused, standing and approaching the stairs that led back down to the building. "Goodnight, Michiru."

"See you! And good luck talking to Shirou."

You made your way down the steps connecting to the rooftop, balancing your hand on the coarse wood railing. Both floors of the building were dark and the hallway was incredibly dim, and the lights on the basketball court did little to illuminate the stairway. Being human, your vision adjusted poorly to the inky darkness, leading you to feel just a tad uneasy as you walked down the steps; not wanting to slip and fall, you tightly held onto the rail and stepped carefully as you descended to the second floor. At the bottom of the stairwell, you could see a window located to your left, and you froze in your spot, staring with slightly wide eyes. The beautiful skyline did little to help your uneasiness, especially considering the B Co-Op building was now dark. In fact, if you looked close enough outdoors, you swore you could see a shadow or two subtly creeping between the lights—

You shook your head, and not wanting to psych yourself out any further, you opted to quickly hurry past the window.

Once the window was behind you, you immediately took notice of a closed door with bright white light streaming from underneath it. It was Shirou's room, you figured, so you walked towards it like a moth attracted to a bulb. Once there, you knocked, hearing a gruff, "Come in," from the wolf. You entered, breathing a quiet sigh of relief that you were now surrounded by light, and shut the door behind you.

As you studied your surroundings, you could see the wolf's room had little furniture, only sporting a bed, a night stand (on top of which was a bag of tissues), a desk, and a packed bookshelf. There was also a large window on the wall that faced the outside, but you felt a bit more at ease since the glass was covered by blinds. The room itself had plain white walls, coupled with a dull brown wood panel flooring (making you wonder how expensive some of the building costs were if the _bedrooms_ had wood flooring). Lastly, a petite yet bright lamp rested on top of the desk, greatly illuminating the minimalistic bedroom. Not a thing was messy or out of place in Shirou's room, and you figured his history as a social worker must have to do with it.

After all, considering your own line of work, you yourself knew how important it was to stay organized.

The wolf himself was in the middle of dressing for the night (only opting for a pair of sweatpants; he was nude, otherwise), and he silently looked at you once you were fully in the room. He wordlessly nodded his head in the direction of your bag, which rested at the foot of the bed, slumped over as if it slept while waiting for you. You blinked, before giving a sheepish thanks and walking to your bag, unzipping it and retrieving your clothes for the night. Several times, you opened your mouth to speak to Shirou, followed by you ending up saying nothing. All the while, your face and ears were warm from the embarrassment that crept back from earlier. Once you finished getting dressed, you heard the wolf shuffle into the bed (which squeaked horribly), rustling the bedsheets. You were about to join Shirou, before a thought hit you:

Should you sleep elsewhere…?

You instinctively placed a hand on your neck, remembering the conversation from earlier. Sleeping somewhere else would lessen the chance that his scent would get on you again. Of course, if you did carry his smell, you could wash it away when you showered tomorrow, but… 

“Just get in the bed,” the wolf commanded lowly, cutting into your thoughts. You were hesitant for just a moment more, before climbing alongside him (noting that the bed creaked violently from _you_ being in it as well). Strangely, Shirou didn't face his back towards you as he had last night, though he closed his eyes after a few moments of looking at your face.

It was now or never, you supposed, so you spoke after what felt like an eternal silence.

"I'm…sorry for my behavior from earlier. At the time, I just thought it was a lot to ask."

Shirou opened both of his dull green eyes and narrowed them. His brows furrowed as he scanned your apologetic expression.

"Your _safety_ is 'a lot to ask'? Do you realize what you're saying?"

"No, it's not. I'm just—Shirou, imagine you're told something's up and that Michiru or the Mayor were potential suspects. How would you react?"

The wolf simply furrowed his brows more, saying nothing.

"I know what you told me is important, I really do, b-but there's a whiplash o-of thoughts in my head. I…I…"

You felt yourself begin to tremble, felt your train of thought screech to a halt, felt your fortified walls begin to crumble as you thought about your situation again. What if Shirou _wasn't_ at your apartment? Would the beastman have broken in and kidnapped you, or _worse?_ Oh God, what did this mean for the safety of the _other_ humans?

No, no, _please_ don't. Not now, the last sane part of your mind desperately begged to your panicking self.

In spite of your pleas, fear began to course through your veins, and your chest _hurt_ as your breathing shook and stuttered. A painful headache made your head throb like underground seismic cracks, and you felt warm again. In response, you tensed up your fists, practically stabbing into your palms with your nails. You could deal with the pain, you could deal with the panicking, but you needed to stay strong. You needed to stay _confident._

But not in front of him, God, _not in front of him._

If any beastman, especially _Shirou,_ saw a side of weakness to you, then how could they take you seriously? How could they see you as a leader to help bridge the gap between humans and—!?

"You don't have to pretend that you're fine."

You gasped for air after Shirou's voice snapped you from your thoughts. Your chest felt tight and constricted, and you blinked for what felt like the first time in ages. Your eyes stung with the pain of a thousand tiny flaming needles and watered more and more with each blink you took. Responding to the stimulus in your eyes, your nose immediately began to run, and the wolf promptly handed you the box of tissues from his nightstand. Fairly soon, however, tears caused by dryness were replaced with tears of frustration, almost completely blurring your vision. Feeling ashamed, you turned your back to the wolf, tightly clutching the bedsheets in one hand and a tissue in the other. 

"I…don't stare at me…" you pathetically whined, voice wavering from the panic and crying. Seemingly ignoring your words, you heard the wolf shuffle behind you, before you saw his body come into view next to you. The mattress groaned under your combined weights, slumping a little. Shirou called your name, but you didn't answer. He called again, and you felt the roughness of his thumb pad as he placed his index finger and thumb on your chin.

"Look at me," the wolf said, tilting your head in his direction. His green eyes held a subtle gentleness, and his tone was soft to match. It was…strange, coming from him, but comforting nonetheless. "I know this is a stressful situation for you, and I know you're scared."

Your eyes widened a little in response, and your breath hitched in your throat. Fuck, since he knew, what was he going to do?

The wolf's brows then furrowed in what seemed to be contemplation, before he closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled through his nostrils. Shirou then wordlessly wrapped his furred, muscled arms around your back, pulling you into his body. He rested his muzzle atop your head, and you could hear his heartbeat thrum in his chest.

_Ba-bump._

_Ba-bump._

_Ba-bump._

Your own skipped a beat as he embraced you.

"I will protect you. If I need to say it again to convince you, I will."

His throat vibrated deeply as he spoke. Between his heart, his low voice, and the position you were both in, you found yourself feeling oddly at ease, despite how you were just a minute ago. Sighing shakily, you buried your head into his furred chest, allowing the warmth from his body to take hold and calm you down. After a minute or so, you slowly returned the embrace, holding onto the wolf as if he were your lifeline. Your brain blocked everything else out, blinding you to the surroundings of the bedroom, and deafening you to the sounds of the city outside. You only focused on Shirou, focused on the warmth of his fur, the soothing beats of his heart, the way he _hugged_ you like this for the first time since your relationship began.

You wouldn't mind staying with him forever, like this.

"Shirou?" you quietly asked, voice slightly rough and weak. "Can you…say that again? I like hearing your voice."

The wolf hummed, fully knowing your excuse was there to disguise your desire for reassurance, though he obliged you anyway.

"I will protect you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panic attacks. Fun for everyone, yeah?


End file.
